Red Sox Notebook: Eduardo Rodriguez to start Game 1, Chris Sale likely for Game 2 of the Division Series vs. Rays

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The last time Eduardo Rodriguez was on the mound in a playoff game, it ended with a moment that wasn’t funny at the time, but looking back is easy to chuckle at.

“That was the day when I threw my glove down,” said Rodriguez, who will start Game 1 of the American League Division Series for the Red Sox against the Rays on Thursday night. “So, I mean, that was three years ago, so it’s just a different year. I feel like I have a lot of experience to be on the mound now, so I’m just going to get ready and go out there and do my job.”

The game he’s referring to was Game 4 of the 2018 World Series, when Rodriguez was pitching a gem until he unraveled in the sixth inning, when he served up a home run to Yasiel Puig that prompted the pitcher to take off his glove and spike it on the mound.

What followed was the first full season of his career, as he led the league with 34 starts and won 19 games with a 3.81 ERA, finishing sixth in the A.L. Cy Young voting in 2019.

The 2020 season was a wash for him as he contracted COVID-19 over the summer and suffered myocarditis because of it. He was bedridden for months and wasn’t sure if he’d ever pitch again. But after making a full recovery and staying healthy throughout the 2021 season, Rodriguez was tapped to be the Game 1 starter against the Rays.

“It means a lot because of everything that I went through last year,” he said. “And I have the opportunity to throw the first inning in the ALDS Iit feels really good. It’s just special. I feel like it’s really special for me to have the opportunity to start a game like that.”

It’s been a roller coaster for the 28-year-old, who started his season strong but faded quickly and has struggled to find consistency. He finished 13-8 with a 4.74 ERA and a career-high strikeout rate of 10.6 batters per nine innings.

“I’m very proud of him,” manager Alex Cora said. “Last year was a very difficult year for him not being able to play because of health issues. And the fact that he will be the starter tomorrow, I know it means a lot to him and his family.”

He’s also a pending free agent, which means every time he pitches could be his last in a Red Sox uniform.

“We know his situation,” Cora said. “This is a free agent year, and we’ll see where it takes us. We’ll get there when we have to get there, but it’s a guy that represents everything that we ask for for a player. Just show up, work hard, and do your best out there, and he has done that since I got here. Do we still jab each other? Yeah, of course. That’s part of the relationship.”

Sale fully rested

Cora said Chris Sale will likely start Game 2 on regular rest after he started the final game of the regular season on Sunday.

To go with two lefties against the Rays seems smart, given the Rays struggled against lefties during the first half, though they did get better with the mid-season addition of Nelson Cruz.

“We think it’s a good matchup,” Cora said of Rodriguez. “Obviously with them you have to mix and match. They’re going to look for an advantage and all that. We’ll have Nick Pivetta in the bullpen.”

Rays the favorite

On paper, the Rays are the heavy betting favorites by almost a 2-to-1 margin.

The Red Sox went just 8-11 against the Rays this year. They won the first four games of the series, then finished 4-11 in their final 15 matchups, though Cora thought they played better than the results.

“I know they won the season series, but if you look at the games, you know, it’s a 1-0 game with a wild pitch in the ninth inning,” he said. “There was a sun ball at Fenway when we were up 7-1.”

Said shortstop Xander Bogaerts, “They are a very clean team, to be honest. They score a lot of runs. They might not have the names that some of the other teams have, but they don’t make a lot of mistakes. You see with the pitching staff or especially defensively, they don’t give any extra outs. That’s a team that plays their best.”

J.D. questionable

J.D. Martinez will be an at-the-buzzer decision on Thursday when the Red Sox have to decide if he’ll be on the ALDS roster. He’s got a sprained left ankle that won’t require off-season surgery but was too swollen for him to run on. He was moving around on Wednesday but the Sox remained unsure. …

The Red Sox are 4-for-4 in advancing in the postseason under Cora, whose teams have gone 12-3 in 15 postseason games. …

There have been seven teams to win the World Series without winning their division, including the 2004 Red Sox and the 2019 Nationals.