For several seasons, Alex Cora has been urging Eduardo Rodriguez to be more efficient on the mound.
Back in 2019, Cora famously lost his cool in a Grapefruit League game in Port St. Lucie when Rodriguez got ahead of New York Mets outfielder Dominic Smith 0-2 with two outs, only to eventually walk him.
Rodriguez's habit of nibbling invariably ran his pitch count up, resulting in shortened outings.
This spring, however, it seems like Cora's message has finally sunk in. On Wednesday, Rodriguez continued his strong spring, limiting the Minnesota Twins to a single run on two hits over five innings, during which he fanned six and walked no one.
Even more impressive was the fact that Rodriguez threw just 51 pitches, 37 of which were thrown for strikes.
"Every time I throw a bullpen, I'm working on attacking hitters,'' said Rodriguez said after the Red Sox manhandled the Twins, 9-1. "That's something I've been discussing with (pitching coach Dave Bush), with all the pitchers, with (C0ra) -- they tell me all the time: attack, attack. That was the plan for me today. I executed it and I feel good with it.''
Left unanswered, for now, is why it took Rodriguez so long to make this a focus.
"I trust my stuff more,'' he said. "A couple of years ago, I was trying to be too nasty and I don't have to be. If I want to get quick innings, I just have to throw the ball close to the strike zone -- early, late in the count. I just have to be near the strike zone. If I get two strikes, go for the kill pitch right away and try to get out of the inning as quick as I can. That's something I've been working on and it's working pretty good for me.''
It's no surprise, then, that Rodriguez has been given the honor of being the starting pitcher for the Red Sox' regular-season opener on April 1 vs. Baltimore. It will be his first such assignment.
Cora said that he intended to have Rodriguez pitch the opener all along this spring, but wanted to make sure that the lefty was fully recovered from COVID-19 and myocarditis, which combined to sideline him for all of last season.
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