Red Sox Prospect Revelling In First Career Victory

The Boston Red Sox called up Connelly Early to start Tuesday’s game against the Athletics, and it went better than anyone could have expected.

The pitching prospect threw five shutout innings, allowing five hits and striking out 11. He generated 19 whiffs, more than anyone on the Red Sox in a single game outside of Garrett Crochet. The Red Sox beat the A’s, 6-0, and Early recorded his first career win.

His debut came earlier than expected. Early began the year in Double-A Portland, and only made six starts in Triple-A Worcester before getting the call to the major leagues. He didn’t need to be added to the 40-man roster until next winter, so the call may have come as a surprise to Early. Despite that, the lefty was just happy for the chance.

“It was amazing, just to go out there and have that first opportunity,” Early said. “Just getting to the field, seeing all the guys, seeing guys that you don’t even imagine being next to most of the time. It was amazing, just a bunch of joy.”

Early was scratched from his start in Worcester on Sunday in the event that the Red Sox needed him. When he got the call, his family quickly organized travel to Sacramento to watch his debut.

“It’s amazing. They’ve been with me every step of the way. They’ve always been here for my best interests, and just being able to have them here is amazing,” Early said.

His family couldn’t have asked for a better debut. His 11 strikeouts tied the record for most strikeouts by a Red Sox pitcher in their first career outing. It remains to be seen if Early will be optioned to the minor leagues. If he remains on the roster for another turn in the rotation, he’ll likely face the Athletics at Fenway next week.