After Boston dropped Game 2, Red Sox skipper Alex Cora disclosed his strategy for the series-deciding Game 3, admitting it carries significant risk. He confirmed that rookie Connelly Early will take the mound, trusting him despite his limited experience. Early, called up late in the season, has shown promise—he’s logged a 2.33 ERA over four starts in September, striking out 29 batters in 19 innings.
Yet Cora acknowledged that expecting Early to handle a full outing under postseason pressure might be unrealistic. Thus, he anticipates leaning heavily on the bullpen to bridge the gap. “We’ll check with Whit get a lot of treatment and see where we are tomorrow,” he said, referring to one of his relievers. “The rest, they are in good shape.” Coming off Game 2, Boston deployed seven pitchers, and Cora knows his relief corps will be taxed.
Cora’s comment that “the rest [of the relievers] … are in good shape” suggests confidence in his bullpen depth despite its heavy use. He also alluded to monitoring Whitlock’s condition closely, given the workload he absorbed in the previous game.
In short, Cora is placing faith in a young starter while relying on a bullpen that may already be stretched fully aware that this high-wire act could decide the Red Sox’ postseason fate
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