Red Sox right-hander Nathan Eovaldi says he’s ready for Opening Day

BOSTON --- Nathan Eovaldi can’t recall a time in his baseball career where he served as an Opening Day starter.

It hasn’t happened during any of his big league stints with the Dodgers, Marlins, Yankees or Rays. He’s never had the honor with the Red Sox – 2019 was his lone opportunity, and Chris Sale took the ball against the Mariners.

In fact, the Texas native isn’t convinced he was the first choice on the mound in any of his four seasons [...]

BOSTON --- Nathan Eovaldi can’t recall a time in his baseball career where he served as an Opening Day starter.

It hasn’t happened during any of his big league stints with the Dodgers, Marlins, Yankees or Rays. He’s never had the honor with the Red Sox – 2019 was his lone opportunity, and Chris Sale took the ball against the Mariners.

In fact, the Texas native isn’t convinced he was the first choice on the mound in any of his four seasons with the Alvin High Yellowjackets. That all changes Friday night at Fenway Park against the Orioles, as Boston begins what will be an unusual 2020 season.

Eovaldi navigated through six innings in a 5-2 intrasquad victory Sunday night, one that came in 7½ innings and with a bit of an asterisk attached. Eovaldi recorded just one out in a top of the third inning that was curtailed due to his rising pitch count. The right-hander was fairly dominant otherwise, facing just one man over the minimum in his other five frames.

"I’m excited for it," Eovaldi said. "I’m ready to get it going. I’m ready to start the season. I’m tired of facing our hitters."

Eovaldi worked 1-2-3 frames in the second, fifth and sixth. He brushed aside a one-out walk in the fourth to retire the next two men he faced, including a looking Cesar Puello on a called third strike. Eovaldi fanned five, walked two and allowed four hits in his final Summer Camp appearance.

"I was glad to see him go six," Red Sox manager Ron Roenicke said. "And really, the last two innings, we thought he threw the ball very well. That’s a good way to go into the start of the season."

Eovaldi’s lone hiccup came in the third when Puello led off with a towering solo homer into the light tower in left field. Tzu-Wei Lin shot a double to the corner in left and Jackie Bradley Jr. lined an RBI single to deep left, making it 2-0. Kevin Pillar reached when Xander Bogaerts dropped a popup in short center, and the inning was ultimately called to a halt.

"The third I had a little bit of a rough one – kind of lost it," Eovaldi said. "I felt like I finished strong, and that was the main thing."

Bogaerts atoned for that fielding flub with a two-run double off the Green Monster in the bottom half of the frame. That touched off a string of five unanswered runs scored by the home side. Chris Mazza matched Eovaldi by allowing two runs through four innings before the relief corps faltered behind him.

"(Bogaerts is) hitting some really sharp line drives," Roenicke said. "He’s patient. I’m pretty happy with where he is."

It was a 2-2 game into the fifth when the Red Sox home side took the lead for good. Andrew Benintendi slashed a leadoff triple against the wall in left and Rafael Devers grounded a go-ahead RBI single up the middle. Christian Vazquez and Michael Chavis each followed with RBI singles to right against Josh Osich, who retired just one of the six men he faced.

Boston is scheduled to play a nine-inning intrasquad game Monday night. Roenicke said most of his regulars would be rested aside from Alex Verdugo and Chavis, who are each likely in line for a pair of at-bats. Jeter Downs, Jarren Duran and Josh Ockimey are all expected to play, as they’ll make the trip north from Rhode Island and the alternate camp site at McCoy Stadium.

Collin McHugh’s decision earlier in the day to opt out of the 2020 season opened both a place on the 40-man roster and in the 60-man player pool. The right-hander was attempting to return from a right elbow injury that limited him to just eight starts last season. McHugh was likely to begin the campaign on the injured list and will instead reunite with his wife and two children at their Atlanta home.

"That’s the decision he has made, and we support it," Roenicke said. "We knew it was a tough decision for him. He did tell me he felt bad, but this is what he felt was best for him and his family."

bkoch@providencejournal.com

(401) 277-7054

On Twitter: @BillKoch25