BOSTON — Nathan Eovaldi’s defining Boston Red Sox moment is no longer a heroic effort in a loss.
With every pitch magnified in the winner-take-all Wild Card Game, the righty looked every bit the modern ace. He outdueled Gerrit Cole and set the tone for Boston’s 6-2 win over the New York Yankees, Tuesday at Fenway Park.
Before that, Eovaldi had one of the strangest legacies of any Boston athlete. He was revered for his performance in a loss. In an era with so much winning, even great games in defeat are easy to forget among so many memorable efforts in victories.
But in Game 3 of the 2018 World Series, the 18-inning classic, Eovaldi took the ball to start the 12th and pitched the rest of the way. It was his third outing in four days. He saved the pitching staff and inspired the roster, but he lost the game. He gave up a walk-off home run to Max Muncy in the 18th for Boston’s only defeat en route to a World Series championship. Nobody in history got as much positive response for giving up a walk-off.
Now Eovaldi is the guy who beat the Yankees in the 2021 Wild Card Game, who pushed the old demons further into history. Everything is heightened in a one-game playoff. Everything is heightened even more when it’s Red Sox and Yankees. Eovaldi rose to the moment and not only changed his legacy but the long-term perception of the 2021 Red Sox.
The expectation bar for this team has bounced wildly throughout the year. In July they were among the best teams and best stories in baseball as they led the American League East after finishing last in 2020. In late September they were at risk of missing the postseason altogether.
One-game playoffs aren’t really a fair reflection of anything, but Bucky Dent’s presence at Fenway Park Tuesday was a reminder that nobody cares if it’s fair or not. Beating New York means that the 2021 Red Sox are a team that at worst will have played in the ALDS against the defending American League champs. Not bad after their 2020 disaster. They’re a team that extended their growing dominance over the Yankees in the postseason. Curses and droughts feel like a lifetime ago.
Coming in with stakes that high, Eovaldi’s demeanor was an asset. Unlike so many previous Red Sox aces, Eovaldi doesn’t radiate the outward rage that fueled Josh Beckett or Chris Sale or the edginess that pushed Curt Schilling and Pedro Martinez. His stoicism has been important throughout his career and seemed especially valuable Tuesday.
He shook off a first-inning Giancarlo Stanton blast that nearly got out of the park and struck out Joey Gallo to get out of the top of the inning scoreless.
“He’s so calm,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said. “When he shows up to the ballpark, he’s the same guy when he pitches and when he doesn’t. He was waiting for this one.”
That calm allowed him not to dwell on his start less than two weeks before against the Yankees when he couldn’t get out of the third inning.
“You look at the game beforehand that he pitched against the Yankees and then you see what he does tonight. Very stoic on the mound, going up there and filling up the zone and challenging guys. That was huge,” Kyle Schwarber said. “It was phenomenal. It was exactly what we needed out of the guy and he came out and he delivered.”
Eovaldi said the struggles on Sept. 24 were valuable.
“I felt like they were jumping on my fastball early in the counts, and I was staying away with the fastball at that point and they were able to drive the ball (on Sept. 24),” he said. “Tonight I wanted to make sure to establish the fastball inside. And the second time through, I was able to stay away from them but also keep them honest inside and I think that game plan worked out well.”
Eovaldi went 5.1 innings and gave up one run on four hits. He struck out eight and didn’t walk anybody.
“Nate was great. We learned a lot last week,” Cora said. “We executed our plan the way we wanted to, and he was amazing.”
Amazing or not, after Eovaldi gave up a home run to Anthony Rizzo and an infield hit to Aaron Judge on just his 71st pitch with one out in the sixth, Cora came to get him rather than give Stanton a third look at him. It was a reminder that with the added emphasis on bullpens and analytics, aces aren’t going to see the late innings of a postseason game much anymore. Cora has long been committed to taking a thriving starter out too soon than risking the consequences of waiting too long.
The bullpen gave up just one run in the final 3.2 innings. Eovaldi’s low pitch total makes him a candidate to join that bullpen when the Red Sox face Tampa in the ALDS Thursday. Cora wasn’t ready to think or talk about Eovaldi’s next step. He wanted to cherish this one a little longer:
“We had the right guy on the mound today.”
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