Bad umpiring hurt Nick Pivetta in crucial Red Sox game
Like most of his Boston Red Sox teammates, Nick Pivetta is having a painfully inconsistent season.
Coming into his Sunday evening start against the Baltimore Orioles in the fifth annual League League Classic, he owned a 4.28 ERA and 1.288 WHIP over 136 2/3 innings. After getting off to a slow start in April (15 earned runs, 16 1/3 innings), he was excellent in May and June (19 ER, 78 1/3 IP). In July, he and the team collapsed in horrific fashion. He allowed 25 earned runs over 24 innings; the Sox went 8-19.
Pivetta was turning it around in August, though. After back-to-back three-run starts, he pitched a seven-inning shutout gem in Pittsburgh last week, so he came into the Williamsport game riding high.
Unfortunately for him, MLB umpires are always riding high, because they essentially rule with unfettered power, knowing there are no consequences for their mistakes. In the first inning, home-plate ump Will Little gave Ramón Urías four strikes, leading to a two-out RBI single on the sixth pitch of the at-bat.
Take a look at the fifth pitch, perfectly dotting the corner, definitely in the strike zone:
Nick Pivetta was correct (5). This inning should have been over.
— Bill Koch (@BillKoch25) August 21, 2022
Tommy Pham gave the Orioles an extra out. Will Little gave them another. #RedSox pic.twitter.com/fqkOsamJTz
When the inning finally ended, Pivetta was visibly unhappy, covering his face with his glove as he walked off the field so as to hide his fury from the little leaguers in attendance.
Thankfully, Pivetta didn’t let Little’s inaccuracy get to him. He rebounded to finish the night with nine strikeouts and didn’t allow another run. It turned out much better than his Williamsport debut with the Philadelphia Phillies in the second annual Classic, when the New York Mets shelled him. Still, those two runs have to sting.
At least, thanks to Franchy Cordero’s pinch-hit, game-tying home run in the eighth, Pivetta earned a no-decision, rather than taking the eventual loss. An even more positive takeaway is that this was Pivetta’s 11th start of the season in which he did not allow a home run.
But it’s been hard enough for the Sox to get the job done this year. The last thing they need is umpires making things worse.
5 Best moments from Red Sox-Orioles Little League Classic
The Boston Red Sox and Baltimore Orioles faced off in the fifth annual Little League Classic in Williamsport. Here are the best moments from the event.