Today, the UCLA Bruins Boston Red Sox took on the Chicago White Sox in the first game of a four game set. The matchup was Nick Pivetta for the good Sox vs Dylan Cease for the less good Sox (they still rock and you should root for them in the Central division).
Nick Pivetta was not sharp early. While he was able to strike out the first batter he faced, he walked both Adam Eaton and Yoan Moncada. Naturally this backfired, as Jose Abreu laced a double to bring in a run, and the hottest hitter on the planet (Yermin Mercedes) grounded into a sacrifice to score the spare. Pivetta stopped the bleeding at two, but the Red Sox were playing from behind from the very outset, which is never a fun feeling, especially coming off a tough break loss that snapped a nine game win streak.
The second inning was also quite precarious. After Pivetta walked Rookie of the Year candidate Andrew Vaughn, Nick Madrigal pushed him over to third on a pitch he had to reach outside of the zone for. While he eventually walked a fourth player to load the bases, he was able to tightrope out of danger, thanks to a 400 foot flyout. Gotta love Fenway Park.