Alex Cora has ‘likely’ starter in mind for Game 4 vs. Rays
Red Sox righty Nick Pivetta went from Game 4 starter to Game 3 extra-innings hero in the blink of an eye Sunday night.
With the Red Sox looking to keep the Rays off the board, and with Alex Cora burning through five relievers over four innings, the keys to the mound were handed to Pivetta. And the Canadian did not disappoint, as he dazzled for four innings of shutout ball, with just three hits and seven strikeouts.
Pivetta made sure to end things with a bang, too, as he fanned the Rays’ Mike Zunino with runners on second and third in the top of the 13th.
The ‘bad’ news for the Red Sox is that Pivetta’s dominant outing, which maxed out at 67 pitches, has obviously left the team down a starter for Monday’s Game 4. (The 28-year-old Pivetta also threw 73 pitches out of the pen in last Thursday’s Game 1 loss at The Trop, putting him at 140 pitches over his last four days.)
But Cora already had an option in mind when speaking after Game 3.
“Not yet,” Cora said when asked if it’s decided on his Game 4 starter. “But most likely it’s going to be Eddie [Rodriguez].”
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Ty Anderson is a writer and columnist for 985TheSportsHub.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Beasley Media Group, or any subsidiaries. Yell at him on Twitter: @_TyAnderson.