LOS ANGELES — In the first half of the regular season, only one pitcher managed to strike out Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani three times in a single game. On Friday night, Red Sox starter Nick Pivetta joined that exclusive club.
Pivetta punched out Ohtani in all three matchups between the two men in Friday’s series opener, which the Dodgers won, 4-1, on a Freddie Freeman eighth-inning grand slam. It took five pitches in the first, five in the third and — you guessed it — five more in Ohtani’s at-bat that led off the sixth. Pivetta, who got Ohtani to swing and miss five times, joined Milwaukee’s Aaron Civale, who did it two weeks ago, as the only big league pitchers to get Ohtani three times this year.
BetMGM BET UP TO $1,500! BONUS BET REFUND AFTER A LOSS
STATES: AZ, CO, IA, IL, IN, KS, LA, MD, MI, NJ, OH, PA, TN, VA. Visit BetMGM.com for Terms and Conditions. 21 years of age or older to wager. MA Only. New Customer Offer. All promotions are subject to qualification and eligibility requirements. Rewards issued as non-withdrawable bonus bets. Bonus bets expire 7 days from issuance. In Partnership with MGM Springfield. Play it smart from the start with GameSense. GameSenseMA.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-327-5050 or visit gamblinghelplinema.org. US Promotional Offers not available in New York.
The matchups with the two-time MVP were the highlight of a stellar night for Pivetta, who struck out eight and allowed just three men to reach (two hits, one walk) in six shutout innings before the bullpen blew the game.
“I really enjoy it,” Pivetta said of matching up against Ohtani. “You play this game to play the best at all times. He’s one of the best, if not the best. I enjoy matchups like that and times like that. It’s what I live for.”
Pivetta consistently attacked Ohtani at the top of the zone with a fastball that averaged 94 mph in the righty’s first start of the second half. In all, he got 14 swings-and-misses against a strong Dodgers lineup and threw 60 of his 94 pitches for strikes.
“Just get ahead of him and allow myself to get in advantageous counts and see where it plays,” Pivetta said. “I was able to execute the pitches at the right time.”
Pivetta’s strong outing continued a recent run of success for the soon-to-be free agent. After closing out June with a stinker against the Padres three starts ago, he finished the month with a 5.13 ERA in five starts. July, however, has been a different story, as Pivetta has a 1.83 ERA through three starts while striking out 28 batters in 19 ⅔ frames.
Friday’s outing was perhaps more impressive against a likely playoff team after Pivetta mowed down the Marlins and the A’s in his last two. His ERA now sits at 3.87 — the first time it has been under 4.00 since May 19. Pivetta thinks a big reason is feeling fully strong again after missing a month with a flexor strain in his elbow from mid-April into May.
“I think it starts with how my body’s feeling,” he said. “I’m feeling really good right now, which is nice. I’m able to throw pitches the way I want to, execute them the way I want to. I think I’m getting ahead in the count which is allowing me to take control in those moments and stay ahead of guys.”
Pivetta took a no-decision in a rare bullpen implosion by the Red Sox. Zack Kelly (one run) and Bernardino (three) took the damage as the Sox suffered a rare late loss; before Friday, they were 42-2 in games they led after seven innings.
“(Pivetta was) outstanding,” Cora said. “Reese (McGuire) did an outstanding job with him mixing up the pitches. Fastball up, the sweeper, the cutter. Obviously, that’s a pretty good lineup. 90-something pitches was good enough right there. He gave us a chance to win.”
