Connelly Early Makes Red Sox History In 1st Game Post-Alex Cora

The Boston Red Sox flamethrower has been everything the organization could hope for.

Apr 26, 2026; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Boston Red Sox pitcher Connelly Early (71) throws during the second inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images | Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images

It was a tough day overall for the Boston Red Sox organization on Sunday, but they did earn a win on the bright side.

It was a long day full of noise after the club fired Alex Cora and most of the coaching staff on Saturday. The day began with chief baseball officer Craig Breslow and president and chief executive officer Sam Kennedy addressing the firing of Cora in a press conference.

Afterward, reactions started coming in from members of the club. For example, star shortstop Trevor Story was direct and pointed with his criticism of the decision and lack of transparency. Then, of course, the Red Sox played a baseball game. The game itself didn't get as much buzz as the Cora firing and fallout, of course. Boston took down the Baltimore Orioles, 5-3, in the first game of the Chad Tracy era. Connelly Early took the hill for Boston and shined in his sixth start of the season.

Connelly Early Looked Like A Star

Apr 26, 2026; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Boston Red Sox pitcher Connelly Early (71) throws during the first inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images | Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images

Early went 6 2/3 innings and struck out four batters while allowing just two earned runs. Now, Early's season ERA sits at 2.84 across 31 2/3 innings pitched. The young lefty has been Boston's most consistent starter of the season so far. In fact, he has been so good that he actually made a bit of team history on Sunday as he became the first hurler in team history to record a sub-3.00 ERA and 10.0 K/9.0 IP or more in his first 10 Major League outings, per former Red Sox director of baseball communications and media relations JP Long.

"Connelly Early is the first pitcher in Red Sox history to record a sub-3.00 ERA and at least 10.0 K/9.0 IP in his first 10 Major League outings (min. 50.0 IP): 10 GS, 2.65 ERA, .219 AVG, 51.0 IP, 57 K, 18 BB," Long wrote on X.

For Boston, Early's performance on Sunday was a much-needed distraction for a few hours. The season has been a struggle so far and Cora's firing added even more drama into the mix. In the middle of it all, Early took the mound on Sunday and thrived once again. Let's not forget that this is a 24-year-old hurler we're talking about.

He's already having this level of success and he has just 10 regular season starts under his belt. There is no ceiling to his talent. This is just the beginning.