Boston Red Sox left-handed rookie Connelly Early ran through the Oakland Athletics — again.
Early, who threw five scoreless innings when he made his Major League debut against Oakland last week, started his first-ever game at Fenway Park on Tuesday night. Unfortunately, it didn’t end the way he might’ve hoped as Boston took a 2-1 loss in the series opener.
Early, though, did his part.
“The kid did an amazing job,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora told reporters of Early, who allowed one run on five hits with seven strikeouts in 5.1 innings.
The 23-year-old scattered four hits during the first five innings, retiring the side in the second and third frames. He returned to the mound in the sixth but allowed a lead-off single on a ball that never left the infield. Early rebounded and struck out Oakland’s No. 3 hitter, Nick Kurtz, for the first out of the frame.
He was a double-play ball away from throwing six strong in front of the Fenway Faithful.
Cora, however, had other plans. He opted to go to the bullpen with Early at 80 pitches (55 strikes) and Athletics designated hitter Brent Rooker stepping to the plate for a third time. Hooker ripped a single to right field when he faced Early in the fourth inning.
“It’s about the guy that is hitting,” Cora said of the decision to pull Early. “The game will dictate that we do. That’s a good big leaguer that hits lefties really well. The other guys have to do their job.”
But the others didn’t.
Cora went with right-handed reliever Greg Weissert against the right-hander Hooker. Weissert struck Hooker out, but wasn’t able to close the door and get the final out of the inning. Instead, Weissert allowed an RBI double to the second batter he faced, walked the third, and allowed a two-out RBI single to the fourth. Weissert, who threw just 12 of his 22 pitches for strikes, was credited with the loss.
“We lose that game because I can’t do my job,” Weissert said. “Early pitches an unbelievable game and I go in there and do that (expletive). It sucks.”
The Red Sox, in the thick of a playoff race, host the Athletics in the middle game of the series Wednesday.
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