Nick Pivetta’s No-hit Shutout Against Athletics Set a Major League Baseball Record
Nick Pivetta’s No-hit Shutout Against Athletics Set a Major League Baseball Record.
Nick Pivetta was reluctant to join the bullpen at first. His current relief efforts are unprecedented against Athletics.
The Red Sox right-hander entered the game in the third inning on Monday and completely dominated the woeful Athletics, allowing no hits over six innings and striking out 13 batters to help secure a 7-0 victory for Boston.
According to star’s Stats & Info, Pivetta’s 13 strikeouts in relief were the most by a relief pitcher in Major League Baseball since the mound was placed at its current distance in 1893. This also created a new Red Sox franchise record.
On Monday, Pivetta allowed just two baserunners on two walks while striking out a stunning 65 percent of the batters he faced.
He joined an elite club, becoming only the sixth pitcher in Major League Baseball history to strike out at least 13 batters in an appearance out of the bullpen (16 strikeouts in seven innings of relief by Baseball Hall of Famer Randy Johnson in 2001).
Considering how poorly Pivetta’s season began, his performance is even more remarkable. The 30-year-old had an ERA of 6.30 during his first eight outings before being sent to the bullpen by manager Alex Cora.
That risk has paid off handsomely for Pivetta, who has a 2.31 ERA with 52 strikeouts in 35 innings thrown over 15 relief appearances.
After the game, Cora noted of Pivetta, via MLB.com, that “a lot of people were worried when he got ‘demoted’ to the bullpen because he wants to be a starter, and he has the potential to become a starter.”
But he interpreted it in a different way. You know what, he says, I’m going to chip in. I intend to contribute to this group. I’ll play any part you offer me to the best of my ability.
The Red Sox seem set to keep Pivetta in a relief role for the time being, and it’s hard to argue with that choice. Pivetta’s domination out of the bullpen could earn him a spot back in Boston’s rotation.
Thanks in part to Pivetta, the Red Sox have only dropped two games in July, and they are 8-3 in his last 11 relief appearances.
Nicholas John Carlo Pivetta -Star From Canada
Canadian baseball pitcher Nicholas John Carlo Pivetta (born February 14, 1993) now works for the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball (MLB).
Pivetta was taken by the Washington Nationals in the fourth round of the 2013 Major League Baseball draft.
In 2015, he was dealt to the Philadelphia Phillies, where he would eventually make his Major League Baseball debut in 2017 and remain under contract until 2020. At 6’5″ (1.96 m) tall, he bats and throws right-handed and weighs 220 pounds (100 kg).
