BOSTON -- The Boston Red Sox today acquired right-handed pitcher Nathan Eovaldi from the Tampa Bay Rays in exchange for minor league left-handed pitcher Jalen Beeks.
President of Baseball Operations Dave Dombrowski made the announcement.
Eovaldi (ee-VAUL-dee), 28, went 3-4 with a 4.26 ERA (27 ER/57.0 IP) and a 0.98 WHIP in 10 starts for the Rays this season, striking out 53 batters and walking only eight. The right-hander carried a no-hitter into at least the sixth inning in three of those outings, most recently on July 8 when he retired his first 18 batters faced against the New York Mets at Citi Field. Eovaldi surrendered only one hit over 6.0 innings in a 1-0 win over the Washington Nationals on June 26, and on May 30 he pitched 6.0 scoreless, hitless innings in a win over the Oakland A's.
He most recently pitched Friday against the Miami Marlins and did not factor into the decision, allowing one run in 6.0 innings with eight strikeouts and zero walks.
Among pitchers with at least 50.0 innings in 2018, Eovaldi owns the American League's third-highest strikeout-to-walk ratio (6.63) behind only Corey Kluber (7.44) and Justin Verlander (7.04). He has held right-handed hitters to a .207 batting average (24-for-116) and a .217 on-base percentage with 29 strikeouts against only two walks, as he has not issued an unintentional walk to any of his last 119 right-handed hitters faced. Among pitchers who have faced at least 100 right-handed hitters in 2018, Eovaldi owns the sixth-lowest opponent on-base percentage and the fourth-highest strikeout-to-walk rate (14.50).
Originally selected by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 11th round of the 2008 June Draft, Eovaldi is 41-50 with a 4.22 ERA (373 ER/796.0 IP) in 144 major league appearances (137 starts) for the Dodgers (2011-12), Marlins (2012-14), New York Yankees (2015-16), and Rays (2018). He missed the entire 2017 season recovering from Tommy John surgery performed on August 19, 2016, having also undergone the procedure as a junior in high school on May 27, 2007.
Beeks, 25, made the first two major league appearances of his career this season, allowing nine runs on 11 hits in 6.1 innings (12.79 ERA) over one start and one relief outing. The left-hander is also 5-5 with a 2.89 ERA (28 ER/87.1 IP), 117 strikeouts, and a .215 opponent batting average in 16 starts for Triple-A Pawtucket this season. Selected by Boston in the 12th round of the 2014 June Draft, Beeks is 34-28 with a 3.63 ERA (208 ER/515.2 IP) in 96 career minor league appearances (94 starts).
MLB.com
 

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