'He had that look': Pivetta fires 2-hitter to quiet Astros
Righty retires 18 in a row after leadoff HR for Boston's first complete game since '19
Ian Browne
@IanMBrowneBOSTON -- In case you were wondering, there was no discussion between the manager and the pitcher on whether Nick Pivetta would get a chance to finish what he started and throw the first complete game for the Red Sox in three years.
Any thoughts of a conversation ended when Alex Cora looked into Pivetta¡¯s eyes as he came back to the dugout after a dominant eighth inning.
¡°The way he was looking at me, I was like, ¡®Let me stay away, he might kill me.¡¯¡± quipped Cora. ¡°He had that look. He had it.¡±
Pivetta fired a two-hitter to down the dangerous Astros, 5-1, on Wednesday night at Fenway Park, which would have been a bold scenario to predict when you consider the following:
? The Astros belted six homers on Tuesday at Fenway, including five off Red Sox ace Nathan Eovaldi.
? Pivetta began his Wednesday start by giving up a leadoff homer to Jose Altuve to cap a 10-pitch at-bat.
? Who pitches complete games anymore? Pivetta¡¯s was just the fourth in MLB this season.
¡°That¡¯s why we love the game, right? Unreal,¡± said Cora.
When Pivetta trotted to the mound for the top of the ninth, the crowd of 31,717 roared with approval. Though Pivetta is probably the most hyper-focused pitcher on the Red Sox, he couldn¡¯t help but hear and feel the love.
¡°I actually did. I try not to pay attention too much, but I allowed myself that time to get out there, to kind of just take it in and just enjoy the moment,¡± Pivetta said after firing his second complete game in 111 career starts.
Backed by Pivetta¡¯s gem, which included 112 pitches, no walks and eight strikeouts, the Red Sox won a series at Fenway for the first time this season -- and they did so against the team that upended them in the American League Championship Series last season.
If the 15-22 Red Sox are going to get back on their feet, it has to start somewhere. Perhaps their second straight series win after not winning one since April 11-13 in Detroit will be that starting point.
¡°This series, it was really important for all of us,¡± Pivetta said. "We all know what happened last year. To go out and win a series, it¡¯s really important. They¡¯re a good baseball club, and they were [hot].¡±
And on Tuesday night, Houston¡¯s bats boiled.
Pivetta reversed the narrative in dramatic fashion, retiring 18 in a row and 27 of the last 28 batters after that opening salvo by Altuve.
¡°It was a lot of fun. I don¡¯t really know what to say, to be honest with you,¡± said Pivetta.
It was the first complete game for the Red Sox since Chris Sale on June 5, 2019, at Kansas City and the first at Fenway for a Boston pitcher since Rick Porcello on Aug. 3, 2018, against the Yankees.
Pivetta¡¯s previous complete game was on June 8, 2019, when he was with the Phillies.
¡°He always jokes with me that I¡¯m going to let him throw a complete game, and today he kind of willed himself to do that,¡± said Cora. ¡°You see the swings, they were late. They weren¡¯t able to recognize the slider. We had our guys ready because it happens fast with that team. We¡¯ve seen it before, but he was amazing.¡±
It has been quite a turnaround for Pivetta, who was 0-4 with a 7.84 ERA in his first five starts and 2-0 with a 0.82 ERA in his subsequent three.
¡°It¡¯s my mechanics, it¡¯s my timing, just that, to be honest with you,¡± said Pivetta. ¡°I had a lot of people help me out, a lot of the coaching staff really dug deep, a lot of the KinaTrax [technology], and they helped me out. I had AC texting me at 1 o¡¯clock in the morning, so it¡¯s been a really good group effort. Getting into a rhythm allows me to keep my legs underneath myself and just let the ball ride through the zone.¡±
Christian V¨¢zquez had the best seat in the house, squatting 60 feet and 6 inches from Pivetta¡¯s filthy arsenal of fastballs, curves, sliders and changeups.
¡°He was amazing,¡± V¨¢zquez said. ¡°He was attacking. The fastball was electric. The curveball was sharp.¡±
Who could have seen it coming when Altuve hit that rocket over the Monster?
¡°I thought it was going to be a crazy night again, but we turned the page and executed the plan,¡± said V¨¢zquez.
And what exactly was Pivetta trying to tell Cora with his eyes after that eighth inning?
¡°I didn¡¯t want to come out,¡± Pivetta said. ¡°After [going seven last game], I felt like I could go the extra two innings, pick up the bullpen a little bit. I felt good, I felt confident. I was in the zone. They weren¡¯t taking great hacks against me. I just kind of ran with that.¡±