Boston Red Sox Eduardo Rodriguez Backs Brusdar Graterol Throwing Glove To Celebrate; Joe Kelly records (barely)
Eduardo Rodriguez agrees with Dodgers reliever Brusdar Graterol. It’s good to have fun.
Graterol threw down his glove to celebrate the final of the seventh inning after center fielder Cody Bellinger deprived Fernando Tatis Jr. of a home run. The Dodgers maintained their 4-3 lead. Los Angeles defeated the Padres 6-5 in Game 2 of the NLDS to take a 2-0 lead in the series.
The Padres, especially Manny Machado, were not happy with Graterol’s celebration.
But Machado had one of the biggest bat flips of the 2020 season after a sixth inning homer. He threw his bat into the dugout after a homerun against Clayton Kershaw.
As Rodriguez pointed out on Twitter, why is it okay to dance at home plate after home runs but disagree with the pitcher doing whatever he wants when he takes a big out?
Graterol, 22, was originally scheduled to be traded to the Red Sox as part of the Mookie Betts deal. The proposed three-way exchange would have sent Graterol and Alex Verudgo to Boston, Betts and David Price to LA and Kenta Maeda to the Twins.
The Red Sox were concerned about Graterol’s medical exams. Instead, they acquired Jeter Downs and Connor Wong with Verdugo.
The Dodgers and Twins made a separate trade, sending Graterol to LA and Maeda to Minnesota.
Joe Kelly records (barely)
Former Red Sox pitcher Joe Kelly recorded the save after replacing Kenley Jansen with two strikeouts in ninth and Trent Grisham at first base.
Kelly accompanied Tatis and Machado to load the bases. But he struck out Eric Hosmer on a ground ball at second base for the final putout.
Moreland scores two-point brace
Mitch Moreland – that the Red Sox traded to the Padres on August 30 for prospects Hudson Potts and Jeisson Rosario – scored a two-run brace against Jansen in the ninth inning to reduce San Diego’s deficit to 6-5.
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