Fenway Park back to full capacity; Red Sox beat Marlins 3-1

BOSTON (AP) — Playing their first game in a rejuvenated Fenway Park since the state dropped limits on crowds during the coronavirus pandemic, Nathan Eovaldi went 5 1/3 scoreless innings and the Boston Red Sox beat the Miami Marlins 3-1 on Saturday.

Bobby Dalbec, Kevin Plawecki and Hunter Renfroe each had an RBI single for Boston, which won for the seventh time in nine games and posted its ninth straight home victory over the Marlins.

There was a lot more buzz in the fabled park, with the fans roaring after the national anthem and cheering loudly when Eovaldi fired a fastball past the swing of Magnerius Sierra, the game’s first batter.

Despite drizzly, chilly weather, the stands were about half full and the crowd broke in a chant of ‘"Let’s go, Red Sox!" that echoed around in the first inning from the announced paid attendance of 25,089.

Eovaldi (6-2) allowed four hits, striking out seven with one walk.

“It was awesome,” he said of the crowd. “They were definitely bringing the energy. You could definitely tell the excitement was there in the stadium.”

Adam Ottavino struck out Jesús Aguilar and Garrett Cooper to leave the bases loaded in the seventh. The crowd erupted into a loud cheer when Ottavino struck out Cooper on a sharp slider.

“I think the crowd was what made it different than its been,” Ottavino said. “Just a lot of energy in the moment, especially once I got to two strikes on the last guy. Just kind of an out-of-body experience. Glad I was able to make the pitch. I just kind of blacked out.”

Matt Barnes got the final three outs for his 12th save in 13 chances despite giving up Aguilar’s RBI single.

“We had the right guys up there, we just weren't able to get the big hit,” Marlins manager Don Mattingly said.

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source https://www.chron.com/sports/article/Fenway-Park-back-to-full-capacity-Red-Sox-beat-16212864.php