Boston Red Sox starter Nathan Eovaldi became the third pitcher in major league history to allow five home runs in one inning Tuesday night.
In his Fenway Park start against the Houston Astros, Eovaldi lasted just 1⅔ innings, allowing eight hits and six earned runs while striking out none. In the second inning, after working a three-up, three-down first, Eovaldi allowed homers to Yuli Gurriel, Michael Brantley, Jeremy Pena, Kyle Tucker and Yordan Alvarez as Houston raced out to a 9-1 lead amid boos from the Boston faithful.
Reliever Tyler Danish was called upon by manager Alex Cora to finish the inning. It was the Astros’ first five-homer inning in team history, according to ESPN Stats & Information research, and it was the first time Boston had allowed five in the same frame.
Eovaldi, Boston’s Opening Day starter this season, had a strong campaign last year as the Red Sox advanced to the American League Championship Series. The veteran allowed 15 homers in 32 starts last season, but so far this season, he’s allowed 14, the most in the majors.
Eovaldi is among a number of Red Sox veterans struggling in the early going. Boston, which rallied to defeat the Astros 6-3 on Monday in the series opener, began Tuesday at 14-21, a half-game out of last place in the American League East.
The other two pitchers to match Eovaldi were Chase Anderson in 2020 and Michael Blazek in 2017.