Game 3 Wasn't Enough Work To Satisfy Nathan Eovaldi
By Michael Hurley, CBS Boston
BOSTON (CBS) -- Though he ultimately took the loss in Game 3, Nathan Eovaldi was unbelievable for the Boston Red Sox.
He entered the game to start the bottom of the 12th, and he carried the Red Sox all the way to the 18th inning. In doing so, he set a World Series record for most pitches ever thrown in relief of a Fall Classic game (with 97). Eovaldi lasted six-plus innings, allowing three hits, two runs (one earned), and one walk while striking out five Dodgers.
Despite the outcome, it was a performance for the ages. But it wasn't enough to satisfy the flame-throwing righty.
Red Sox manager Alex Cora said that upon seeing Eovaldi on Saturday, the pitcher said he was ready, willing and eager to get the ball again in Game 4.
"We had breakfast today, team breakfast, family breakfast in the hotel and he said he's ready to go tonight," Cora said of Eovaldi. "He told the wrong person that. He hasn't approached that to me."
The last bit is some comedy, as Eovaldi is set to hit the free-agent market at the conclusion of this year's postseason.
Rest assured, there is absolutely no way that Eovaldi is allowed to pitch in Game 4, and probably even Game 5. But still, that attitude from Eovaldi is clearly appreciated by his manager and his teammates -- some of whom are already trying to emulate him.
Even the opposing manager couldn't help but gush a bit at what Eovaldi did in Game 3.
"I appreciate everything about what he did last night. I'm on the other side but I'm a baseball fan, I'm a sports fan. And when you see people like that perform at the highest level and to stay focused, appreciating that that was three [appearances] out of four [games] for him, to go 90-plus pitches, hold his stuff, use his mix, and take three at-bats, I think last night and still keep going and give his team a chance to win, those are moments that don't come by very often," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. "I think one of our players mentioned it, in recent memory, what [Madison] Bumgarner did in the World Series. And obviously you can talk about Sandy Koufax, who was there last night, and guys like that who did it more often as far as kind of pitching three games. But in recent times it just doesn't happen. And so it was pretty special."
You can email Michael Hurley or find him on Twitter @michaelFhurley.
