Boston Red Sox: Suddenly the Yankees aren’t the team that sucks

Boston Red Sox strike zone: Nick Pivetta struggles big time

The Boston Red Sox needed a strong starting pitching performance on Wednesday to avoid the three-game sweep to the Yankees and they simply didn’t get it.

As good as Nick Pivetta has been in similar spots all season long, he added to the bleeding in the Bronx lasting just 1 2/3 innings in the 5-2 loss.

In giving up 4 hits and 4 runs, Pivetta put his team in a big hole offensively, which seemed that much bigger given the lineup’s struggles at the plate.  Still, Pivetta offered some optimism after the game which shows his confidence in what his team is capable of moving forward.

"“We’re just hungry for more.  We just have to stay steady, stay fast through this little bit of a stretch,” Pivetta said in a Zoom call, as transcribed by NESN.  “We have an off day tomorrow, which will be really good, get some energy get some rest.  Get some energy moving forward.  It’s just focusing on game to game and going out there competing every single day and doing our jobs.  We’re very confident in ourselves and we’ve done a really good job up to this point.”"

Actually, the Red Sox as a team has done a good job up until late July.  With a 6-14 record since July 29.  In that time they have not only surrendered the AL lead to the Tampa Bay rays, they have now fallen behind a Yankees team that still has their share of issues.

In pinpointing that every team goes through ups and downs during the long 162-game marathon, Pivetta knows adjustments need to be made.  If they don’t start sprinting now, it will be very hard to cross that finish line first or even second in a race they have given back to the rest of the AL East.