Red Sox reliever Nick Pivetta pitched six no-hit innings and struck out 13 batters in Boston’s 7-0 win over the Athletics on Monday in Oakland, California. Godofredo A. Vásquez/Associated Press
Even without Rafael Devers, who’s day-to-day with right calf tightness, the Red Sox lineup is relentless. On Monday evening in Oakland, Boston had 10 hits and demolished the downtrodden A’s, 7-0.
Everyone in the Sox’s lineup other than Yu Chang had a hit, but Connor Wong was the only player with multiple hits. The catcher went 3 for 4 with a run and three RBI.
But with all due respect to Boston’s impressive bats, this night belonged to Nick Pivetta.
After Brennan Bernardino opened the game with a pair of scoreless innings, Pivetta took over and had one of the best relief performances in baseball history.
Over six innings, he induced 14 swings and misses, didn’t allow a single hit, and racked up 13 strikeouts.
With his 10th strikeout, he joined Hideo Nomo (April 4, 2001) and Smoky Joe Wood (July 29, 1911) as the only three Red Sox pitchers to reach double-digit strikeouts without allowing a hit.
When Pivetta reached 12 (his seventh consecutive strikeout), he tied Diego Segui (1974) and Dick Radatz (1963) for the franchise record for strikeouts in a relief performance. He broke the record when he struck out Nick Allen for the second out of the eighth inning.
“Good fastball, good command of his off-speed pitches, working ahead, great tempo,” Red Sox Manager Alex Cora said to NESN postgame.
Pivetta’s 13 strikeouts put him three away from the major league record set by Randy Johnson, who took over a suspended game from Curt Schilling and struck out 16 batters. Denny McClain, Rube Marquard and Walter Johnson are the only other pitchers with more strikeouts in a relief outing.
“That was fun to watch,” Cora said, adding. “He likes pitching here.”
Indeed, Pivetta’s only other two games in Oakland were also deep, scoreless performances. He struck out 10 in seven innings on July 4, 2021, and struck out seven in seven innings on June 4, 2022. In both games, he held the A’s to two hits and the Red Sox won.
At this point, it’s fair to say that Pivetta is one of the best trades of the Chaim Bloom era. Acquired from the Philadelphia Phillies during the 2020 season, he only cost the Red Sox Brandon Workman and Heath Hembree. On a team with never-ending pitching problems, the value club-controlled Pivetta brings, with his durability and versatility, cannot be overstated.
Chris Martin pitched a scoreless ninth to finish the combined shutout. His three strikeouts brought the pitching staff’s total to 18, matching the Brewers (July 14) for the single-game high this season. It’s Boston’s most strikeouts in a game since 2021, and tied for the fourth-most in franchise history.
Pivetta was quick to credit his teammates for their part in his historic night.
“Wonger was incredible back there,” Pivetta said to NESN’s Jahmai Webster. “Berny did a really good job opening.”
“It’s a great honor,” Pivetta said of making history, but added, “All those things are great things, but the most important thing is that we won a baseball game today.”
About an hour later, the Angels walked off the Yankees in the bottom of the 10th inning, pushing Boston’s greatest rival into sole occupancy of the American League East cellar.
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