Porcello’s early hook
It seems so long ago now that we almost forget that Rick Porcello started Game 3 for the Red Sox. The right-hander pitched brilliantly, allowing only three hits and a walk while striking out five. The only damage done against him was a solo home run by Joc Pederson in the third inning.
This isn’t about blaming the loss on Porcello though. It was one run! You should feel great about your starter if he allows only one run. The reason Porcello’s outing is on this list isn’t about him giving up a homer, it’s about the questionable decision to give him an early hook after only 4 2/3 innings.
The decision by Alex Cora, while a bit surprising, was defensible at the time. The manager wanted to avoid having his starter face Pederson again in a tight game when his left-handed swing had already taken Porcello deep. Porcello’s spot in the batting order was due up next inning, so if Cora planned to pinch-hit for him anyway then pulling him in favor of lefty Eduardo Rodriguez made sense. E-Rod struck out Pederson on a changeup down and in to end the inning so it appeared the move paid off.
In retrospect, given how long this game ultimately lasted, the Red Sox could have used a few more innings from their starter. Porcello only threw 61 pitches! He could easily have gone another two or three frames given how well he was throwing. Every additional out Porcello could have recorded would leave one less for Eovaldi to worry about. Maybe Eovaldi doesn’t give up the walk-off homer if he isn’t exhausted from carrying a heavy workload.
97 pitches is a lot to ask of any relief pitcher, let alone one who worked an inning in each of the first two games of this series. Eovaldi was expected to start Game 4 but that’s not happening now. The Dodgers were able to keep Rich Hill out of this game so that he can still make his scheduled start, in part because Walker Buehler gave them seven innings last night.
Cora only wanted to use Eovaldi in this game if it gave him the chance to take a commanding three-game lead in the series. That backfired with Eovaldi essentially being wasted in a loss, the ramifications of which hinder their chances for winning the next game.