Boston Red Sox: Eduardo Rodriguez gets necessary push from Chris Sale

Chris Sale is having an impact on and off the mound for the Boston Red Sox. His impact is being felt by young starter Eduardo Rodriguez.

Eduardo Rodriguez has arrived and Boston Red Sox fans may have Chris Sale to thank for it.

After allowing the St. Louis Cardinals to take a 3-2 lead in the third inning of Tuesday night’s 6-3 win, the Rodriguez was able to bounce back and have another solid outing. What could’ve been a disastrous performance turned into something masterful.

The young lefty found motivation in the dugout following the inning from Sale and Rick Porcello. Both pitchers gave Rodriguez a pep talk that helped him gain his control back, but Sale’s words really stood out.

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"“Sale just tells me, ‘Hey man,’” Rodriguez said following the game, via the Boston Herald. “That was the key to get back in the game. He just tells me, ‘This is where the men go out and show who you are. Just go there and try to limit the damage and fight,’ you know what I mean? I think that helped me a lot to get back in the game.”"

After blowing the two-run lead, Eduardo Rodriguez really settled down in a groove. He didn’t allow a run in the remainder of his six-inning performance leading to his second win of the season. His ERA remains at 3.05 as he put in his fifth quality start giving up no more than three earned runs.

Red Sox manager John Farrell was impressed by the way he was able to bounce back.

"“I thought he turned in another quality performance here tonight,” Farrell said. “Particularly the fifth and sixth inning, where we were able to take back the lead with the two runs in the top of the fifth, and he was at his best to go out and have a nine-pitch inning in the bottom of the fifth, kept his pitch count in order to be able to go out and really allow us to kind of set up the bullpen in a favorable way with some of the matchups.”"

Finding his niche

In all, the young lefty is emerging as a quality No. 3 starter and perhaps No. 2 if David Price isn’t able to come back strong and Porcello remains inconsistent.

As evident with Tuesday night’s game, a player like Sale is important for young players like Rodriguez. Not only is he impactful with his words, he provides leadership by the way he approaches the game and how he performs.

Perhaps, having an ace and leader is what Eduardo Rodriguez needs to finally become the pitcher he has shown glimpses of becoming the last two seasons. As long as injuries don’t get in the way, this young pitcher is just what the doctor ordered for the Boston Red Sox pitching staff.

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