Takeaway #2: Nick Pivetta is a Red Sox revelation
Nick Pivetta was the other arm that Alex Cora marched out to face the Metropolitans and he did just as he’s done since coming to Boston last year. If you’ve read my writing before it’s no secret to you how I feel about Nicky P. A guy who floundered with the Phillies has been resurrected with the Red Sox and is possibly the team’s second-best pitcher right now.
My guy is 3-0 on the year after tossing 5 innings of one-hit ball while striking out 7 and walking 3. Pivetta leads the AL in walks with 17 but his free passes have rarely come back to hurt him, minus the Seattle start. He’s the definition of a guy that will get himself into trouble, but won’t lose his composure and can get right out of it. The right-hander has been more than reliable for AC in the early goings of 2021 and has what it takes to be a starter for this team for the foreseeable future.
Chaim Bloom seems to be under more pressure than any other GM in the Boston sports landscape as he’s the new kid on the block. It doesn’t help that the first job he was tasked with after getting hired was to trade Mookie Betts, but we all know he didn’t have a say in that matter. What he did have a say in was the return from the Dodgers, which has been phenomenal so far.
That wasn’t the only move he made in 2020 and he hasn’t had a single miss yet. Like Hawkeye shooting an arrow, Bloom never misses. Pivetta was another great deal he worked out and we still haven’t seen the other half of the trade-in Connor Seabold yet. Pivetta quickly went to 3-0 with the Red Sox to finish off his 2020 campaign and picked up right where he left off.
The righty tossed a stellar spring training and more than locked up his spot in the starting rotation without a doubt. While Boston’s starters have all been reliable for the most part in 2021, Pivetta should be at the top of that list. Nicky P has been building confidence with each start and despite his high number of walks, he isn’t letting it get him down. Look no further than the burst of emotion he let out last night after finishing off another inning.