The Boston Red Sox finally are in the win column.
With an 11-2 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays on Monday night, the Red Sox were able to lighten the mood at Fenway Park following a disastrous opening series vs. Baltimore.
Highlights: Sox offense wakes up vs. Rays for first win of season
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Here are a few quick observations from Boston's first victory of the 2021 MLB season.
Nick Pivetta could be a breath of fresh air for Sox rotation
Maybe a change of scenery is all Nick Pivetta needed.
The 28-year-old was never able to find his footing during his Philadelphia Phillies. In 2019, Pivetta posted a 5.38 ERA in 30 appearances (13 starts) with Philly. He allowed 10 runs in 5 2/3 innings pitched last season before the Phillies gave up on him and dealt him to Boston.
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In a Red Sox uniform, Pivetta has looked like a different pitcher. After joining the team in 2020, he went 2-0 in his two starts with two earned runs in 10 innings pitched. He carried that success into 2021 with an impressive outing that led to Boston's first victory of the campaign.
Pivetta allowed only two hits and didn't allow a run in five innings of work. The only real blemish on his stat line is his four walks, but the right-hander was able to keep Tampa from doing any damage.
After what we just saw from Garrett Richards on Sunday, it's clear Pivetta and Tanner Houck will be counted on to be reliable arms at the back end of the rotation this season. Pivetta's performance on Monday night provided some encouragement.
The Red Sox offense has finally awoken ...
After sleepwalking through the first three games of the season, the Red Sox bats woke up and made a statement in the win over Tampa Bay. Boston plated 11 runs on 16 hits, showing that despite the slow start this offense will be just fine.
J.D. Martinez stayed hot with his second homer of the season, a three-run shot that drilled Pesky's Pole in the eighth inning. Xander Bogaerts snapped his slump with a 4-for-5 night that included a Little League homer. Alex Verdugo, Kiké Hernandez, Hunter Renfroe, and Franchy Cordero each put runs across the plate to snap out of their slumbers.
This game should serve as a reminder that the offense will be the least of the team's concerns in 2021. The bats may fall asleep here and there, but this is a club that will go as far as its shaky pitching staff will take it.
... except for Rafael Devers
Every player in the Red Sox lineup contributed a hit on Monday night except for Rafael Devers, who still is looking for his first of the season. He's now 0-for-11 in the early going.
Devers is too talented to not get back on track, but it's still a bit of a concern. The 24-year-old slugger entered the campaign with lofty expectations as a centerpiece in Boston's lineup. After a down 2020, Devers was considered a player who could bounce back and potentially earn an All-Star nod in Year 5 of his MLB career. Instead, it looks like inconsistency will remain an issue.
It also doesn't help that Devers still can't seem to figure it out defensively. He was benched in Game 3 of the Orioles series after a horrible start to the year at third base. When he isn't hitting, there's no reason to risk putting him at the hot corner. That's one of many reasons why Devers needs to turn things around at the plate sooner rather than later.