For the Red Sox, it’s got to be Connelly Early. Doesn’t it?
With news hitting on Monday that the Red Sox will not have starting pitcher Lucas Giolito available in the AL wild-card round against the Yankees, the question–once the shock of the announcement passed–became who, then, would the Red Sox put on the mound in a Game 3 back at Fenway Park?
It’s not an easy question for manager Alex Cora to answer, not because he does not have some ideas, but mostly because he can’t presume it is a question that needs answering. The Red Sox are in a three-game series against New York, and if they win (or lose) both in the Bronx, they won’t need an answer for a Game 3 starter at all.
But still, Cora dropped a bit of a hint at his pre-series presser on Monday that points to Connelly Early being the guy.
Red Sox’s Alex Cora Says He Could Start a ‘Kid’ in Game 3
When Cora was first asked about Game 3, he referenced, “kids” as an option.
“We’ll go the first two games and then we’ll decide. Obviously we got some kids over there that they have started lately, but first thing is first, (Garrett) Crochet, (Brayan) Bello, and if we have to make a decision for Game 3, we’ll go from there,” Cora said.
Kids could be a reference, of course, to Kyle Harrison or Payton Tolle, both of whom have started games for the Red Sox during the stretch run. But while both have ability, neither showed himself to be as safe a bet going into a must-win Game 3 as Early would be.
Connelly Early Has 3 Starts Behind Him
That’s not to say that Early would be a sure thing. He is a 23-year-old rookie with four starts under his belt, two against the A’s, one against the Rays and one against the reeling Tigers. But he has a 2.33 ERA in 19.1 innings, with 29 strikeouts and a 1.086 WHIP.
Cora was not tipping his hand but said, “Like I say, we have some kids that started this week, and we’ll see how the first two games go. Then we’ll decide, if needed, for Game 3.”
Red Sox Found Lucas Giolito Issue This Weekend
As for Giolito, Cora revealed that he is seeing Dr. Jeffrey Dugas in Florida about the elbow issue.
“Lucas, he’s not going to be on the roster,” Cora said. “He’s been battling with his elbow the last few days, and today he went to see Dr. Dugas. Hopefully it’s nothing major, but he won’t be ready for this one.”
Giolito was 10-4 with a 3.41 ERA this season, but had been laboring through his four September starts, in which he went 0-2 with a 3.66 ERA. He walked 13 batters in 19.2 innings in those games, including nine walks in his last two starts.
“I believe he was fighting it,” Cora said of the elbow issue. “He was going to throw a bullpen during the week, and we had to cut it short. Was he in play for the last game? Probably he was pushing that way, but after Saturday, Sunday, he didn’t look too good. Especially yesterday.
“That’s the reason we sent him to see the doctor. Like I said, hopefully it’s nothing major.”
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