The Red Sox were without Alex Cora on this rainy day, as Will Venable took over for the day, managing his first career game. Nathan Eovaldi sought to make sure Cora’s leadership wasn’t missed. Opposing Eovaldi was Trevor Rogers, a young stud (and recently graduated prospect) with a 1.75 ERA in 56 2⁄3 innings of work this season.
The key to Rogers success this season has been the difference between his fastball and changeup, and mixing in a solid whiff-generating slider for good measure. He’s kept players off balance and off base, and good things happen when you do that (#EllisBurksWisdom).