Craig Breslow said the Red Sox elevated pitching prospect Payton Tolle because they felt he could contribute as Boston eyes meaningful baseball down the stretch. Based on how the left-hander performed in his Major League debut at Fenway Park on Friday night, that’s a fair expectation.
Tolle went toe-to-toe with Pirates superstar Paul Skenes and more than held his own despite the tough-luck 4-2 defeat.
The 22-year-old walked off the diamond to a standing ovation as the Red Sox held a 2-0 lead with one out in the sixth inning. Unfortunately for Tolle, Red Sox reliever Greg Weissert took over with runners on first and second. Tolle threw 84 pitches at that point, prompting Red Sox manager Alex Cora to go to the bullpen.
Weissert allowed back-to-back doubles on his first four pitches and the Pirates took a 3-2 lead after six innings. Weissert was credited for the loss.
A quick look at the box score might make Tolle’s line look less admirable given those runs allowed — at the very least, it doesn’t look as good as it would’ve if Weissert shut the door in the sixth. However, Tolle limited the Pirates to one hit with eight strikeouts in five scoreless frames.
In his first four innings of work, he struck out six with 39 of 60 pitches being called strikes. He also got out of a second-inning jam after he allowed a lead-off walk to Tommy Pham and ground-rule double by Andrew McCutchen. He retired the next two batters on swinging strikeouts before inducing an inning-ending fly ball.
The No. 2 prospect in the organization, who rocketed through the ranks this season, also showcased the velocity Breslow raved about pregame. Tolle exceeded 98 miles per hour five times in the first inning alone.
“It’s the total package,” Breslow said. “He’s got an elite fastball, which is the foundation of his repertoire. He’s got unique extension, the fastball playability, the ability to get guys to swing and miss in the strike zone and his secondaries have taken real steps forward this year.”
“I mean, it seems like he belongs, you know?” Cora said pregame.
It certainly does.
