Nick Pivetta began yesterday's game against the Astros with a 10-pitch battle against Jose Altuve, which ended with the Houston second baseman hitting a home run to left-center.
Not the best start to a ball game, considering that the previous evening, the Astros tied a major league record by clubbing five dongs in one inning against Nathan Eovaldi.
Pivetta ended up pitching a complete game, allowing only two hits. After the homer, he set down the next 18 Houston batters before giving up a ground-rule double to start the seventh. Then he retired the next nine batters. It was the fewest hits the Astros have had in a regular-season game at Fenway; however, they have played only 34 such games in Boston.
Pivetta struck out eight and had no walks. It was the Red Sox's first complete game in nearly three years. On June 5, 2019, Chris Sale's three-hit shutout (with 12 strikeouts) of the Royals.
It was Pivetta's second career complete game. His first came with the Phillies on June 8, 2019 (three days after the Red Sox's last CG!).
Boston had two complete games in 2018: David Price's win over the Orioles on May 17 and Rick Porcello's one-hitter against the MFY on August 3.
Porcell is also the last Red Sox pitcher to have multiple complete games in one season, with two in 2017.
Number of Red Sox complete games, by season (2012-2021): 7, 3, 3, 3, 9, 5, 2, 1, 0, 0.
Today has already been a good day, as Anthony Santander's three-run homer in the bottom of the ninth gave the Orioles a 9-6 walkoff win over the MFY.
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