Red Sox 9, Orioles 1: Nathan Eovaldi dominant in Boston victory

BOSTON --- How the Red Sox arrived at their Wednesday night result against the Orioles mattered more than the victory itself.

Boston and Baltimore are both attempting to avoid the basement in the American League East. The Rays clinched the division crown with a victory over the Mets and should see the Yankees and Blue Jays join them in the playoffs.

Nathan Eovaldi is among those looking ahead to next season. The Red Sox right-hander turned in a third strong outing since [...]

BOSTON --- How the Red Sox arrived at their Wednesday night result against the Orioles mattered more than the victory itself.

Boston and Baltimore are both attempting to avoid the basement in the American League East. The Rays clinched the division crown with a victory over the Mets and should see the Yankees and Blue Jays join them in the playoffs.

Nathan Eovaldi is among those looking ahead to next season. The Red Sox right-hander turned in a third strong outing since coming off the injured list earlier this month. Eovaldi fired six shutout innings and Boston exploded early in a 9-1 thumping at Fenway Park.

Eovaldi topped 100 mph with his four-seam fastball five times in the top of the first alone. He averaged 98.4 mph on the pitch while throwing it 33 times. Eovaldi induced 18 swings and misses on his 92 pitches overall, scattering seven hits and walking just one.

"I was hoping I’d get another inning," Eovaldi said. "I didn’t realize my pitch count was that high. Go out there and leave it all out there – I felt really good."

Eovaldi suffered a right calf strain after an Aug. 20 start against the Orioles at Camden Yards. He finished seven innings in a 7-1 Boston victory and looked to be rounding into form. The Red Sox went 8-12 in his 20 games on the injured list and were sellers at the Aug. 31 trade deadline.

"It was a shame we had that time where we had to put him on the IL there with the calf," Red Sox manager Ron Roenicke said. "It would have been nice to see him roll right on through. He threw the ball great again tonight."

With Chris Sale (left elbow) almost certainly set to miss Opening Day next season and Eduardo Rodriguez (heart) yet to resume workouts, Eovaldi will enter this offseason an important piece of any projected Boston rotation. He begins the back half of his four-year contract with the Red Sox having made just 21 starts in two seasons, and eclipsing that number next season would seem critical.

"Right now I feel really fresh," Eovaldi said. "Obviously it’s disappointing we’re not going to the playoffs. Going to the offseason now, I’ll treat it like any other offseason and come back ready to go for next year."

Boston took the lead for good in the bottom of the first. Jackie Bradley Jr. lined an RBI single to right and Kevin Plawecki muscled a run-scoring single through the right side. That 2-0 cushion only grew as the warm night went on.

The Red Sox added six more in the second, chasing Baltimore starter Dean Kremer with a fusillade of hard contact. J.D. Martinez cranked an RBI double off the wall in center, Plawecki sent a run-scoring triple down the line in right and Michael Chavis ripped an RBI double to the base of the Green Monster in left. Rafael Devers spread things out for good against reliever Branden Kline, lacing a three-run double to the corner in right.

Boston carried that 8-0 lead through the middle innings thanks to Eovaldi, who notched a pair of 4-6-3 double plays in the fourth and fifth. The Orioles put two more men aboard in the sixth before Eovaldi blew away Chance Sisco on three pitches. Mike Kickham surrendered the shutout bid after Eovaldi hit the showers, as Austin Hays launched a solo homer to the Monster Seats leading off the seventh.

bkoch@providencejournal.com

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