The Patriots fell short of their sixth Super Bowl this past season. However, the season did hold some fun and exciting moments.
Welcome to our first installment of Top 5 Tuesday. Today, I will be ranking the best plays from the Patriots 2017-18 season.
5. Brady to Amendola, vs. Jaguars AFC Championship
Magic. That’s honestly the only way to describe what Brady did in the playoffs. Down 20-10 in the fourth quarter, Brady rallied his team with two touchdown drives. The second touchdown was perhaps one of the greatest catches this year. Earlier in that drive, Brady had an amazing throw to Amendola, placing the ball in the perfect and only place he would be able to get it. The connection happened again with Amendola making a beautiful catch in the back of the end zone. To this day, I have no idea how he was able to get his feet in.
4. Harmon Game Winning INT, vs, Steelers Week 15
The Patriots/Steelers rivalry hasn’t been much of a rivalry at all. For the most part, New England has always come out on top. However, this season the Patriots found themselves down late in the fourth quarter. Thanks to Brady and Gronk, they were back on top again. All New England had to do was hold them out of the endzone. After a JuJu Smith-Shuster 69-yard catch-and-run, even that seemed unlikely. Time was running out. Instead of taking the field goal, the Steelers tried to run a fake spike and score a touchdown. It backfired as the ball ended up being tipped and intercepted at the hands of Duron Harmon.
3. Brady to Gronkowski, vs. Bills Week 16
This was honestly just a pure demonstration of skill and the chemistry between Brady and Gronk. The game was a blowout in itself, and this play is icing on the cake.
2. Gilmore’s Tipped Pass, vs. Jaguars AFC Championship
It wasn’t even the Amendola catch that won us this game and sent our Patriots to the Super Bowl. It was this play right here. It’s a fourth down situation and a stop seals the game. Bortles, under pressure, steps up in the pocket and throws it downfield. Gilmore, in perfect coverage, leaps up and smacks the ball out of the sky. Sixty-five million dollars well spent.
1. Brady to Cooks, vs. Texans Week 3
Could Deshaun Watson dethrone Brady and the Dark Empire? Not if the GOAT himself could do something about it. Perfect throw. Perfect catch. Touchdown.
Disagree with our list? Let us know in the comments with what plays you thought should be considered.
Robert Williams, the Celtics most promising rookie, has been sidelined by a knee contusion. He has only played two games in limited minutes this summer. Williams has been dealing with “an artery condition in both of his legs,” according to Fred Katz of Mass Live.
According to a source the condition is “not too serious.” However, this specific injury requires a procedure in the near future. Williams is dealing with a condition called popliteal artery entrapment syndrome. PAES is commonly found in athletes.
“Because of where the muscles and tendons around Williams’ knee are positioned, they end up compressing the “popliteal artery,” the main one behind the knee, restricting blood flow to the lower leg. It can lead to cramping and calf pain during exercise, per Johns Hopkins Medicine.”
The Celtics and other NBA teams were aware of this situation at the time of the draft. It may have caused him to fall to the 27th pick. Williams has been playing with this condition for years, according to MassLive. The Celtics will regularly continue to monitor and treat his PAES.
After missing his first flight and summer league practice, Williams has been “putting up the work,” says Brad Stevens. Unfortunately, with injuries like this, patience and constant treatment is required. Robert Williams can be a crucial cog in the Boston defense if healthy, even in limited minutes.
Hopefully, this injury will not start the injury bug that bit the Celtics last season, ultimately costing them a chance to represent the Eastern Conference in the NBA Finals.
Let’s face it: Bill Belichick isn’t afraid of trading anybody. From Richard Seymour to Logan Mankins, Belichick won’t hesitate to trade veteran starters. With Rob Gronkowski working out a new contract, it’s come out today teams are looking at Gronkowski as trade bait. Training camp is about three weeks away. The Patriots probably want a new contract done at least before the start of the season.
Brady Would Be Livid
Jan 16, 2016; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady (12) reacts before the game against the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Divisional round playoff game at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports/File Photo
Greg Bedard of Boston Sports Journal has done some digging. He asked executives around the league about how teams are looking at the Gronkowski contract situation in New England. Bedard was told by an AFC executive, “Where’s the restructure of his contract? Until that’s done, I think he’s still available. I wouldn’t be surprised if Belichick is going to test Gronk’s buy-in with the contract.” It would be stunning if Belichick traded Gronkowski because they couldn’t agree on terms of a contract. I know of one player who would be livid if that happened: Tom Brady.
Gronkowski Is Here as Long as Brady Is
Brady is already out his number one target for in Julian Edelman for the first month of the season. He doesn’t have Danny Amendola anymore. All he has is Chris Hogan, Malcolm Mitchell who’s returning from injury, and new Patriot Cordarrelle Paterson. There is no way Brady would want or let Gronkowski be traded. Gronkowski is a huge asset to the offense and losing him would be hard to replace. The Patriots selected Ryan Izzo, a tight end in this year’s NFL Draft. But there’s no way he’ll start unless Gronkowski does get traded. If they want to get rid of a tight end it should be Dwayne Allen. Allen was awful last season for the Patriots.
At the end of the day, I don’t think Gronkowski will get traded because Tom Brady would have nobody to throw to at the beginning of the season. He should’ve just retired at the end of last season if he knew Belichick was going to trade away the whole team so Josh McDaniels can start with a fresh new team in 2019. But Gronkowski will be here as long as Tom Brady is on the team. Two more years.
The final four teams are set for the semi-finals and it is shaping up to be two memorable games to decide the World Cup bout. In one matchup, we have the great story of Belgium going up against the favorites France. The second match pits two countries that were not expecting to be here: England and Croatia.
Photo courtesy: FIFA
France vs Belgium
We must start with France, who has put together a remarkable tournament. Mbappe and Griezman have been two of the go-to guys for goals. Coupled with Pogba mastering the midfield, no team has been able to find a solution to beat this team.
Belgium has been the dark horse of the tournament. They are now one win away from playing in the championship game. Their road has been emotional and difficult at times, which may pay off in the long run.
These countries have faced each other 73 times. Belgium has won 30 games to France’s 24 victories. They have drawn in the other 19 games. The last time they met, in 2015, Belgium defeated France 4-3 in a friendly. It has been 32 years since the Red Devils had a chance in the semi-finals. On the other hand, Les Bleus looks to match their 1998 campaign.
Verdict: Belgium once again find a way to scrape by and play for the chance to raise the trophy for the first time.
England vs Croatia
Photo courtesy: FIFA
England has been an organized team – from the forwards all the way back to the goalkeeper. They have been great on set pieces and have used it to their advantage throughout the tournament. Kane has been the team’s main goal scorer. However, additional players have stepped up in that area recently. Pickford has been outstanding in goal and they will need him to be sharp again this time around.
Croatia was not expected to be in this position. Yet they find themselves right here. They have played the majority of their games into extra time and shootouts. This could prove to be costly in their bout with England.
These teams have only met five times prior. England won three and Croatia won the other two. They met most recently in the 2010 World Cup qualifying round. England took home the victory 5-1. This is the first time Vetrani will be playing in the semi-final game and the first since 1990 for the Three Lions.
Verdict: England wins it in penalties after three straight games of shootouts taking its toll on Croatia.
We await to see who plays for the Cup. But the only certainty today is that we’ve got you covered.
We are down to the final four team remaining and there were some entertaining games to get us to this point. Here is a recap of how we got here:
Photo courtesy: FIFA
France vs. Uruguay
Photo courtesy: FIFA
France is beginning to solidify itself as one of the favorites to win the title. They made their 2-0 victory over Uruguay look effortless. In a game that was missing an integral part in Uruguay’s main goal scorer, there was a lack of excitement compared to how it looked on paper. France once again took a lead and never looked back. Varane put France ahead with a goal right before halftime and Griezman followed it up with another in the second half to put the game away. Uruguay was strong in its first four games, but the team was not able to muster the same amount of pressure without Cavani on the field. Les Bleus are now two wins away from the title, a feat they last accomplished in 1998.
Belgium vs. Brazil
Photo courtesy: FIFA
Belgium’s historic tournament proceeds as they end the road for powerhouse Brazil in a 2-1 victory. The scoring opened up on an own goal from a corner kick that put Belgium up 1-0. De Bruyne then followed up with a sensational shot to make it 2-0. From that point on, Neymar and Brazil did everything within their power to tie the game. But they could only cut into the deficit with 15 minutes remaining. Courtois had to make spectacular saves, none better than on one of the final shots. The Red Devils have had to win in many ways, from coming back two goals versus Japan and to outlasting Brazil. It seems this team has what it takes to win it all.
Englandvs. Sweden
Photo courtesy: FIFA
One of these two strong teams had to go home after this game; it was Sweden who were defeated 2-0 by England. England was able to score a goal in each half. Both were headers (via Maguire and Alli) to put them closer to the final.
England has been a team that has gotten better as the tournament progresses. Kane, who leads the World Cup in scoring, was held off the score sheet. But his team had help again as their goalie Pickford made incredible saves at timely moments. At times during the game, Sweden were close to getting the score level. But as Pickford had done in previous games, he held them off until the team in front of him scored again to put the game away. The Three Lions have not won the title since 1966. But they have as good a chance as the remaining four opponents to lift the trophy if they are able to get two more victories.
Croatia vs. Russia
Photo courtesy: FIFA
The magical run has come to an end for host country Russia. They were defeated by Croatia in penalties 4-3. Russia was able to get on the board first on a beautiful goal. But Croatia tied it up moments later to send the match into extra time. Croatia scored first and thought they had a victory. But the hosts were unfazed and tied the game to send it to a shootout. Russia shot first and it was stopped. A later try was sent completely wide of the net. It came down to Rakitic, who put it past the Russian goalie and sent Vatreni to the semifinal for the first time since 1998.
The semi-finals are sure to be even more thrilling. Stay tuned for a preview.
Boston Will Have Five of its Players Heading to D.C.
On Sunday night, the MLB revealed the AL and NL rosters for the All-Star Game. The Red Sox tied with the Indians and Astros for most players on the AL roster. The game takes place on Tuesday, July 17th, at the home ballpark of the Washington Nationals.
This year’s crew is headlined by Mookie Betts and JD Martinez, who will both be starting in the game. Betts, making his third appearance in the Midsummer Classic, was an obvious lock for a starting spot. He currently is leading the entire MLB in batting average (.342). He’s also third in the AL in WAR (5.4). Martinez was another clear-cut choice as he prepares to make his second appearance. He leads both leagues in both homers (27) and RBIs (74).
The remaining Red Sox who made the team are Mitch Moreland, Chris Sale, and Craig Kimbrel. Moreland will be making his first appearance in the All-Star game this year. He’s having a great year for the Sox and made the team as a reserve at first base. Sale and Kimbrel will both represent the American League pitching staff. Sale will make his seventh appearance, having thus far pitched his way to the fourth-best ERA (2.36) and second-highest amount of strikeouts (176) in the AL. Kimbrel, also playing in the game for the seventh time, is second in the majors with 27 saves.
This year, there is one remaining roster spot for fans to vote in one last player. For the AL, the candidates are Andrelton Simmons, Giancarlo Stanton, Jean Segura, Eddie Rosario, and Boston’s own Andrew Benintendi. Make sure you vote Benny into the All-Star Game here! Voting ends July 11th at 4:00 p.m. ET. Help the Sox get a sixth All Star!
The Sox are cruising through a great season, and the All-Star selections are just gravy. Though all fans know it isn’t the ultimate goal, it is some great recognition for the chosen players. Congratulations to all of Boston’s players who will no doubt represent the team well in DC!
Down on the farm is a series in which every weekend, I will be providing weekly results from the Pawtucket Red Sox (AAA) as well as the Portland Sea Dogs (AA), Salem Red Sox (High A) and Lowell Spinners (class a short season). After every team is recapped, individual stats are listed and dissected. Also, a “prospect of the week” will be featured at the end.
Down On The Farm- Pawtucket Red Sox
Pawtucket went 2-4 over the week and they are now 40-45 on the season. The Sox started off the week on Saturday with a 7-6 loss against the RailRiders. Mike Ohlman knocked in three runs but Ryan Brasier gave up a game-winning single in the tenth. They rebounded and won 2-0 on Sunday. Sam Travis drove in two runs and Josh A. Smith picked up the win by throwing five scoreless innings.
Pawtucket lost 6-2 on Monday. Drew Pomeranz gave up not one, not two, not three, but four home runs in just 2.2 innings. The Sox lost again on Tuesday, 2-1. Chandler Shepherd gave up two runs in 4.1 innings and the offense was stymied. They picked up a win on Wednesday, 6-5. They scored all six runs in the eighth and ninth, and Tzu Wei Lin drove in the game-winning run on a single in the ninth. The game was suspended on Thursday, and Pawtucket lost 3-2 on Friday. Justin Haley gave up two runs in three innings and the offense was frustrated.
Down On The Farm- Portland Sea Dogs
The Sea Dogs went 5-2 over the week and are now 34-51 on the season. Portland started off the week with an 8-2 win over Binghamton on Saturday. Rivera, Ockimey, and Tendler drove in two runs each and Mike Shawaryn gave up two runs over seven innings. They lost in extras on Sunday, 4-3. Austin Rei knocked in two runs but Jordan Weems gave up the go-ahead run in the 11th. The Sea Dogs won on Monday, 5-3. Witte and Ockimey drove in two runs each and Matthew Kent gave up two runs in 6.1 innings.
The offense was baffled on Tuesday as they lost 2-1. Trey Ball picked up the loss by giving up one run in three innings of relief. The Sea Dogs rebounded and won 7-5 on Wednesday. Luke Tendler hit a go-ahead two-run home run in the ninth and Teddy Stankiewicz was decent, giving up four runs in 5.2 innings. Portland won again on Thursday, 10-2. Witte drove in four runs and Dedgar Jimenez gave up two runs in five innings. They closed out the week on Friday with a 5-3 win against Hartford. Renda knocked in two runs and Kyle Hart gave up three runs over six innings.
Down On The Farm- Salem Red Sox
The Red Sox went 4-3 on the week and they are now 40-43 on the season. Salem started off the week on Saturday with an 8-4 win. Osinski and Madera drove in two runs and Algenis Martinez gave up one run in four innings to pick up the win. They lost 3-1 on Sunday. Jake Thompson gave up zero earned runs in 6.2 innings but he could not get any help. Salem lost again on Monday, 6-3. Tanner Houck gave up four runs over 4.2 innings and the offense was slowed down. Salem rebounded on Tuesday and won 4-0. Dalbec knocked in three runs and Darwinzon Hernandez gave up zero runs over six innings.
They lost 7-1 on Wednesday. The offense was not productive and Daniel Gonzalez gave up four runs in five innings. Salem held on to win on Thursday, 10-9. Scott knocked in four runs and Mata picked up the win by giving up three runs in five innings. The Red Sox closed out the week on Friday with a 5-4 win. Dalbec drove in two runs and Jake Thompson gave up three runs in five innings.
Down On The Farm- Lowell Spinners
The Spinners went 3-4 on the week and are now 9-12 on the season. Lowell started off the week on Saturday with a 6-4 win. Kyle Cottam drove in two runs and Hunter Haworth gave up one run over six innings. They lost on Sunday by a score of 7-3. Victor Garcia gave up four runs in two innings and the offense couldn’t muster much. The Spinners won on Monday by the score of 3-1. LeGrant knocked in a run and Eduard Bazardo gave up one run in five innings.
Lowell lost on Tuesday by the score of 4-3. It was an offensive sleeper for the Spinners and Brian Brown gave up three runs in four innings. They rebounded and won on Wednesday, 7-4. The offense scored three runs in the tenth but Gio Arrieta gave up three runs in seven innings. The Spinners lost on Thursday by the score of 5-2. Hunter Haworth gave up three runs in 2.2 innings and the offense could not do much. They closed out the week on Friday. with a 3-2 loss. The offense was quiet again and Alberto Franco gave up one run in 5.1 innings.
Prospect Of The Week- Durbin Feltman
Third round pick in the 2018 draft
Was considered the best closer in college baseball the last two years
Sports a 0 ERA in three innings this season
Some scouts say he could be in the majors by the end of this summer
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On July 8, 1994, the Seattle Mariners came to Fenway Park. Along with them came 18-year-old Alex Rodriguez for his Major League debut. The Mariners had talent but were 12 games under .500. The Red Sox had gotten off to a 20-7 start, but after a miserable June that saw them lose 11 straight at one point their record had fallen to 40-43.
A Slow Start
baseballreference.com
The game had a late start time, getting underway a little past 8:00 pm on a Friday night. The Mariners lineup featured possibly the best player in the game in Ken Griffey Jr. Former batting champion Edgar Martinez was batting cleanup while the 18-year-old phenom batted 9th. In the leadoff spot was little known Brian Turang, the father of 2018 first round pick of the Brewers Brice Turang. The Sox were absent their biggest bat, as Mo Vaughn took a seat. Left-hander Chris Nabholz was taking the mound for just the second time as a member of the Red Sox.
Nabholz allowed three baserunners in the first but no runs came in to score. The Sox got off to a slow start against lefty Dave Fleming. The Mariners hurler had been good the previous two seasons but was off to a miserable start in 1994. The Mariners scored first when Ken Griffey tripled to center in the third. In the fifth, Bill Haselman reached first on an error and would come around to score on a base hit from Felix Fermin to give the Mariners a 2-0 lead. Meanwhile, Fleming was cruising, throwing five shutout innings to start the game.
The Triple Play
With the Sox already trailing 2-0, the Mariners put on the first two men in the sixth inning. Things were looking a little dicey for Chris Nabholz as Marc Newfield stepped in. Newfield hit a sinking liner towards short that John Valentin snared just above ground level. Mike Blowers had been running and was already by third base when Valentin caught the ball, so Valentin ran over to second and tagged it for out number two. Keith Mitchell, who had been running from first, seemed to be caught off guard with what was happening as he made no effort to retreat back to his bag. Valentin tagged him on his way by to complete the unassisted triple play.
Not even the announcers were sure of what was happening. In perhaps one of the most confusing and odd plays you will ever witness, only taking a listen for yourself can do it justice.
John Valentin immediately after completing the 10th unassisted triple play in Major League history. (YouTube)
Triple Play Awakens the Bats
After completing the unassisted triple play, Valentin was due to lead off in the bottom half of the sixth inning. After battling Fleming to a full count, Valentin homered over the Monster in left on the eighth pitch of the at-bat to put the Sox on the scoreboard. Andre Dawson then worked the count full as well before doubling to left, chasing Dave Fleming from the game. Bill Risley came aboard to face Tom Brunansky. After falling behind in the count 1-2, Brunansky homered to left to give the Red Sox their first lead of the game. This was Brunansky’s sixth homer in 19 games since rejoining the Red Sox via trade. After the next two men were retired, catcher Rich Rowland took a 3-1 pitch out of the yard for the team’s third home run of the inning. The Red Sox now led 4-2.
A Wild Ninth Inning
Chris Nabholz kept the Mariners off the board until the ninth. He had allowed just one run in the third and an unearned run in the fifth before Mike Blowers greeted him in the ninth with a home run to close the gap to one run. In came closer Ken Ryan to try and finish things off, and boy did he get some help.
First up against Ryan was Keith Mitchell, the cousin of former MVP winner Kevin Mitchell. Mitchell hit a bullet to the left side where Scott Cooper made a nice diving stop; the throw was in the dirt and scooped by Tim Naehring for the out. Naehring usually played elsewhere in the infield, but he was able to scoop the low throw, a nice play on both ends of the inning’s first out.
Next came Marc Newfield, who had lined into the triple play in the sixth. Newfield flew one towards the triangle in center; Lee Tinsley running to his left made a great diving grab just in front of the warning track. Tinsley appeared injured, lying on the ground following the play, but he ultimately got up and stayed in the game for the final out.
Reggie Jefferson, who would join the Red Sox the following season, pinch-hit for fellow future Red Sox Bill Haselman. It was a good decision as Jefferson crushed a Ken Ryan offering to deep right-center. The ball was between the two fielders as Lee Tinsley and Wes Chamberlain converged in front of the wall. Both player’s leapt for the ball and Chamberlain got the better position. Leaping as high as he could, Chamberlain snared the ball above the wall to rob Jefferson of a game-tying home run. The game was over; the Red Sox held on to a 4-3 win.
Summing Up
The Red Sox made four nice defensive plays to get three outs in the ninth on consecutive plays. It is not often you will see an inning with such a defensive show, let alone have it be for the final three outs, all capped off by a game-ending catch to rob a potential game-tying home run. It was a fantastic ending to a historic game that featured the 10th unassisted triple play in Major League history as well as the debut of Alex Rodriguez at the age of 18. If you have a few minutes, watch the ninth inning below, it is worth it.
The Red Sox rotation is among the many great things about this 2018 squad. Chris Sale has been great. Porcello has done a great job as well. However, there are still a few questions regarding Boston’s starters.
The first question is David Price. With an ERA over 4.00 this season, Price hasn’t been one you can count on so far into the year.For a large chunk of his career in Boston so far, it’s been nothing but meh. And meh is not what you want to see coming out of a guy who gets about $1,000,000 a start. I myself haven’t fully given up on this guy, and neither should you. But there is no question that needs to start getting it together and pitch like the ace that we signed.
The other question is Drew Pomeranz/Steven Wright. Who is going to have the fourth/fifth spot of the rotation between the two? Pomeranz, before going on the DL for a while, was awful. And that’s just being nice. With an ERA near 7.00, he got knocked out for a while before starting his return. So far, his return isn’t looking so good. In one of his more recent starts in the minors, he gave up four homers. Steven Wright, on the other hand, had a sub 2.00 ERA in three starts before giving up ten earned runs to Seattle. He has been on the DL ever since.
As far as Eduardo Rodriguez goes, he has had an overall solid year. He hasn’t shown his full potential yet but he’s certainly shown flashes of a top of the rotation arm.
One other alarming thing about this rotation is the fact that none of their current starters have any proven postseason success. If the plan is to go deep into October, that fact has to change. I don’t think many people are concerned about Chris Sale. But as far as Rick Porcello, David Price (who is historically bad in October), and the guys who don’t have much experience such as ERod, Pomeranz, and Wright go, they will be needing to step up.
Now here comes the question: should Dombrowski look to add at that position specifically as the deadline approaches? It’s definitely not a #1 need. The bullpen would be the first thing most people would point to. If there is a cheap price to get a pretty good starter, sure. Why not just pull the trigger? But unless Dombrowski can get some kind of steal, there should be no real urgency to get a starting pitcher.
It’s July, which means only one thing: Trade SZN. The Red Sox made their fair share of roster moves in June, including signing former All-Star 2B Brandon Phillips to a minor league contract and trading for Steve Pearce. However, Dave Dombrowski has never been shy about shuffling pieces around the board (and across the league), so it’s unlikely the Sox are done tweaking their roster for the summer.
The next shoe to drop could be a move for starting pitching help. The Red Sox were among several teams in attendance for current Rays’ starter Nathan Eovaldi‘s start on Monday, per MLB.com’s Bill Chastain.
Sox fans will remember Eovaldi best during his stint with the Yankees from 2015-16. During that two-year stretch, Eovaldi was 23-11 with a 4.45 ERA and 1.39 WHIP. He missed all of last season after undergoing his second Tommy John’s surgery in August 2016. Eovaldi could represent a low-risk/low-cost rental for teams in need of pitching depth down the stretch.
The Problem
Boston fits that mold perfectly. Chris Sale has been dominant and Rick Porcello has been both consistent and dependable. David Price has shown a tendency to mix strong stretches with complete meltdowns. He is also only a year removed from his own injury issues. Eduardo Rodriguez seems to have righted the ship with Wednesday’s virtuoso performance in Washington. He’s also notoriously inconsistent, and has gone deeper than the 6th inning only twice in his 17 starts this year. Drew Pomeranz and Steven Wright are currently on the disabled list.
Both Wright and Pomeranz are close to returning. Wright is expected back by the All-Star break, and Pomeranz made his first rehab start this week. However, Wright’s knee issues are becoming chronic, and Pomeranz allowed four HRs in Monday’s rehab start. Neither qualify as reliable back-of-the-rotation options.
The Solution
That’s where Eovaldi fits in. He’s posted a 3.92 ERA across seven starts so far this season, with career highs in K/9 (7.6) and K/BB (5.83) ratio. While he’s benefited from good batted ball luck, he’s also had poor home run luck. Opponents are only batting .211 on balls in play, and he’s stranded 79.6% of his runners. However, Eovaldi’s HR/FB rate (21.4%) is higher than ever. In other words, look for both of those numbers to even out a bit as the sample size grows.
Eovaldi’s stuff has remained consistent in his return as well. He still throws gas (avg. four-seam velocity of 97 mph). He’s also mixed in a cutter more frequently than ever. In 2016, only 7.3% of Eovaldi’s pitches were classified as such. That number has climbed all the way up to 25.3% this season. That could partially explain his luck on balls in play. An improved cut-fastball is limiting how much solid contact opposing batters are able to make.
Granted, none of these numbers are exactly eye-popping. But, they are representative of a solid fifth starter who provides depth at the end of the rotation. Eovaldi would come with his own question marks as well; he missed the start of this season with elbow and rib injuries. However, if the price is right, he could be a nice piece to help get the Sox through the dog days of summer.
