September 22, 2020

By Kevin Glew

Canadian Baseball Network

Canadian right-hander Nick Pivetta (Victoria, B.C.) will start for the Boston Red Sox against the Baltimore Orioles tonight at Fenway Park.

This will be Pivetta’s debut with the Red Sox after he was acquired from the Philadelphia Phillies, along with RHP Connor Seabold, on August 21 in exchange for relievers Heath Hembree and Brandon Workman.

The 27-year-old Pivetta, now in his fourth big league season, has been honing his skills at the Red Sox Alternate Training Site at McCoy Stadium in Pawtucket, R.I.

“He has three or four really good, high-quality, major league pitches,” Red Sox minor league pitching coordinator Shawn Haviland told the Boston Globe about Pivetta. “He’s had some success at that level. It’s kind of just about the consistency.”

After making extensive changes to his off-season training regimen and rejigging his mechanics, Pivetta struggled in three appearances for the Phillies earlier this season. This follows a disappointing 2019 campaign that saw him record a 5.38 ERA in 30 appearances, including 13 starts.

In all, in 92 career big league appearances, the Victoria Eagles and Junior National Team alum is 19-30 and owns a 5.50 ERA, but has 421 strikeouts in 396 1/3 innings.

He was originally selected by the Washington Nationals in the fourth round of the 2013 MLB draft before he was swapped to the Phillies for closer Jonathan Papelbon on July 28, 2015.

If Pivetta impresses in his start tonight, he could also be in line to start the Red Sox season finale against the Atlanta Braves on Sunday.