A general manager was asked a few years back the importance of having a starting pitcher who a team could consider an ace.
"That's the guy," he said, "you can rely on for the day before his start, the day of his start, and the day after his start."
Saturday, Nathan Eovaldi epitomized all of it.
For the first time in his life, Eovaldi pitched a full nine innings, going the distance in the Red Sox' 5-3 over the Orioles in Game 1 of the teams' doubleheader at Fenway Park.
The complete game - which included 108 pitches - was the first of Eovaldi's career. It was the seventh in Major League Baseball this season, and second by a Red Sox pitcher, with Nick Pivetta managing the feat on May 18.
"He knew that this was a big one for us, especially with where we are at bullpen-wise," said Red Sox manager Alex Cora. "So for him to go nine with the stuff he had, it wasn’t just like, OK, we’re going to throw him out there and see what happens. The stuff was really good. He’s one of those guys, that, you follow suit down there, and I’m very happy for him."
So, about that ace thing ...
Before the game, Eovaldi had already offered a glimpse into his unique existence. While the Red Sox were preparing for their series-finale in Chicago, the Red Sox' starter was joining Garrett Whitlock on a golf cart outside the visitors' clubhouse to start their journey back to Boston.
While Whitlock skipping town early wasn't anything out of the ordinary considering he was pitching the next day, Eovaldi's exit wasn't the norm. But after his explanation Saturday, it made all the sense in the world.
"I start waking up early and just try and get the ball going early in the morning whether it’s going for a walk or riding the bike, trying to get the blood flowing," he said. "Things like that. I don’t think the guys got back here until five in the morning so I would have had to go to bed at 5 and still trying to wake up early. The schedule would have been off a little bit. They were very understanding with it. It was fine."
Eovaldi then expanded on the strategy, explaining, "On start days I usually like to be at the field three hours before the start. So I want to make sure I’m up early. I’m a big breakfast guy, too, so I want to make sure I get my breakfast in. Breakfast and coffee. On start days my stomach is a little upset anyway, with the nerves and everything."
"He’s made some adjustments throughout his career, workout-wise," Cora said. "For example, last week, the whole week he was getting up early, way early, to get ready for the 1:30 start. The other day I was joking with him because he was like, ‘hey, can I fly early from Chicago?’ I was like, ‘you’re pitching Saturday.’ He said, ‘I have to get ready.’ He understands what it takes. That’s the most important thing."
The actual game was pretty self-explanatory, all the way up until that final inning, which Eovaldi entered at having thrown 100 pitches.
Although he gave up a leadoff single to Austin Hays, Eovaldi came back to notch his sixth strikeout, fanning Ryan Mountcastle. From there, both the pitcher and the manager were digging in.
"I know when I had Joe Girardi with the Yankees there were a few times he came out there and left me out there and that caught me by surprise. I didn’t want that to happen again," Eovaldi said. "I always make sure I keep the ball in the glove just in case he comes out there and asks me how I’m doing. AC, he’s definitely a players’ manager. He talks to us all the time and asks us how we’re feeling. Even today it was like the seventh or eighth inning he was down at the end of the dugout, like, ‘Hey, let’s go.’ Usually, he’s top-step and when you’re done, you’re done. There is no convincing him otherwise. I was feeding off of that and just staying locked into the game."
And then there we was the matter of what comes after the start.
The Red Sox were clearly short in the bullpen, particularly when it came to their high-leverage options. (Tyler Danish was the pitcher warming up at game's end.) And, on top of it all, there was another game to be played that day.
Cora needed Eovaldi to protect his bullpen, and that's exactly what he did. That's what an ace does.
“(Pitching coach Dave Bush) Bushy told me after the …. I think, right after the double play. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Got the double play, high-fived and it’s like, that’s his first one," said Cora when asked when he knew this would be Eovaldi's first complete game. "I was like, great. Great timing too. Like I said, he’s been throwing the ball well. He had that bad one against Houston. He’s made some adjustments and he works so hard on everything. It was good to see them celebrate him down there. Well deserved. That was outstanding. We played good defense behind him. Turned a few double plays. That was really good. We put good at-bats, too."
