The Boston Red Sox sustained a significant setback when Lucas Giolito’s injury kept him off the wild card series roster.
Giolito was expected to pitch contest 3 for the Red Sox in a winner-take-all contest against the New York Yankees. If two games are insufficient to determine a victor, manager Alex Cora will need to start over.
Red Sox writer Jen McCaffrey suggested several possibilities for the series finale.
“If the best-of-three series advances to a third game, the Red Sox may start rookie Connelly Early, who has excelled in his first three big league starts,” McCaffrey told The Athletic. “Kyle Harrison, acquired in the Rafael Devers trade, is also another option.”
In his first four major league starts, Early has a 2.33 ERA and 19 strikeouts. The lefty has a WHIP of under 1.09. Harrison’s results aren’t as impressive, but he has a bigger sample size. He has appeared in 11 games for the Red Sox, including six starts, with a 4.04 ERA and a 1.37 WHIP.
Cora and the Red Sox can also turn to right-hander Payton Tolle. His early performances were far from brilliant. Tolle has made six appearances, three of which were starts, with a 6.06 ERA and 1.59 WHIP.
None of the three possibilities above have a big sample size, making it tough for Cora to pick who to trust in a game that might lead to his team’s elimination. His greatest bet may be Early, the man with the least experience of the three.
