'Bro, you're a beast': Narváez's pep talk sparks Early's gem

SEATTLE -- Carlos Narváez saw it in Connelly Early’s eyes right off the bat Saturday, and he didn’t like it.

Two batters in, and Early -- whose previous two starts both began with first-pitch home runs -- had already walked a batter and allowed a hit, prompting an early mound visit between the 24-year-old lefty and his 27-year-old catcher with no outs and the Mariners already threatening.

“I could see in his face [he was] a little uncomfortable,” Narváez said. “I just said, ‘Bro, you’re a beast. Don’t overthink, just go after them and compete.’”

Early smiled, and the beast came out.

One batter later, Josh Naylor hit an RBI single, but the Mariners wouldn’t manage another knock all game long, as Early finished with six innings of one-run ball and three relievers combined to end the Red Sox’s 5-1 win with 8 2/3 no-hit innings.

Per Elias, it was the first time the Red Sox had gone a stretch of 29 batters in a single game without allowing a hit since Sept. 13, 2015, when they did so for a span of 31 batters.

“That’s the name of the game,” Early said. “If we’re able to go out there and have a good start, it gives the bullpen confidence and also gives the hitters confidence. When the starter’s able to go out there and do his thing and keep the bats quiet, it makes a little bit easier for the relievers coming in as well.”

Seattle’s quick start meant that unlike Ranger Suarez’s gem Friday night, there’d be no stressing, considering or ignoring a no-hit bid Saturday. But that doesn’t mean Early was any less dominant once he got going.

“Sometimes when the game is a little fast, you start thinking too much,” Narváez said. “Just trying to bring him back … and just remind him how good he is.”

The southpaw lowered his ERA to 3.64 with six innings of one-run ball. Seattle’s two hits matched the fewest Early has allowed in a start his career, and both his seven strikeouts and his 13 swings-and-misses were one off his season highs.

Both of Early’s fastballs -- four-seamer and sinker -- sat 1.1 mph above his season average. The only other blemishes on his night were three hit batters -- one to lead off the second and two in his final inning -- and one more walk.

“It could have got worse in the first, but he finds his way out of that,” interim manager Chad Tracy said. “There was a little bit of traffic in the second … and from there he was very, very good. It was good to see him throw the ball that way.”

It was a huge way to bounce back for a starter who had been tagged for 22 hits (including five home runs) and seven walks across his past three starts. Beginning on April 26, Early logged a six-start span that saw him work into the seventh four times, but he hadn’t gone past 5 1/3 in June until Saturday.

“My batting average on balls in play has been crazy high over the last couple games, so a little unlucky there, but I was also feeding into it myself, just not helping myself,” Early said. “I went out there and was free today. I think we did a good job. Felt a lot better today.”

It was the third straight quality start for the Red Sox -- following Suarez’s brilliant night Friday and Sonny Gray’s series finale vs. the Blue Jays on Thursday.

“Pretty much anybody that takes the ball, I feel pretty good about walking in the dugout and feeling like we’re going to be in the game,” Tracy said. “I don’t think that’s been inaccurate. It seems like the sixth inning arrives, and we’re right there. That part has been great. It could be worse than that. We’re not getting beat up. We’re in the game, we have a chance. Our starters have done that.”

Tyron Guerrero, Garrett Whitlock and Danny Coulombe all tossed perfect innings to see out the victory, which gave Boston its second series win of the month.

Wilyer Abreu got the Sox on the board in the top of the fourth inning with a two-run home run that came off his bat at 106.3 mph and traveled a Statcast-projected 414 feet out to dead center. Two innings later, Boston broke out the ground attack, plating three runs in an inning that saw just one hit reach the outfield, thanks to two walks, two steals, two wild pitches and back-to-back RBI infield singles by Caleb Durbin and Marcelo Mayer.

“The game rewards you,” Tracy said. “We’re doing some little things right the last couple of days, which is good.”