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LAS VEGAS (AP) — — emphasis on started.“There were a lot of teams that reached out http://www.whitesoxfanproshop.com/authentic-frank-thomas-jersey , wanted me to be a closer,” he said. “I view myself as a starter, and that’s something I’ve always done my entire career. And I enjoy doing that. So if I had that choice, I still wanted to be a starter.”After shifting to the bullpen for three World Series relief appearances, including an epic 97-pitch outing in an 18-inning loss , Eovaldi decided last week to stay with the Red Sox for a $68 million, four-year contract .“I can’t wait to see him again with us. He’s going to be a huge part of this rotation,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said Monday during a winter meetings news conference. “He’s a workaholic.”Eovaldi averaged nearly 98 mph with his fastball during the regular season but reached 100 mph six times in the first two games against the Los Angeles Dodgers, not needing to hold back. That velocity intrigued teams as he became a free agent.Before October, Eovaldi’s career was most notable for a pair of Tommy John surgeries. Acquired from Tampa Bay in July , the 28-year-old right-hander beat the New York Yankees in Game 3 of the Division Series, then defeated Houston in the third game of the League Championship Series and got four outs as a bridge to closer Craig Kimbrel in the Game 5 finale.Transformed to a setup man, Eovaldi twice pitched perfect eighth innings as Boston took a 2-0 World Series lead against the Dodgers.He entered Game 3 at the start of the 12th inning, Boston’s ninth pitcher of the game. Ace Chris Sale and Drew Pomeranz were the only remaining arms available.Eovaldi kept going, allowing Yasiel Puig’s tying single in the 13th and Max Muncy’s leading home run in the 18th, which gave the Dodgers a 3-2 win. Eovaldi’s effort became an emotional rallying point for the Red Sox Bobby Jenks Jersey , who won the next two nights for their fourth title in 15 seasons.“The conversations in between innings, they were cool,” Cora said. “I remember the last one, when I asked him: How are you feeling? He said, ‘Let me finish it.’ He said it with a lot of conviction. I knew he was good.”Cora also remembered Eovaldi’s arrival at the Dodger Stadium breakfast room the next day.“He said he was ready for it that night — not that I was going to use him, of course. I’m not that stupid,” Cora said.Boston’s projected rotation includes Sale, David Price, Rick Porcello, Eovaldi and Eduardo Rodriguez. Sale and Porcello can become free agents after next season.“It’s going to be a juggling act over the next several of years,” Red Sox president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said. “We know we’re not going to be able to sign everybody, but the more stability that’s out there, the better off we are.” PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The Atlanta Braves are savoring their turnaround.Freddie Freeman hit three doubles in a four-hit performance and drove in three runs as the Braves kept up their push for home-field advantage in the playoffs, routing the Philadelphia Phillies 10-2 Friday night.The NL East champion Braves improved to 90-70, coming off three straight seasons of at least 90 losses. They will face the NL West champion in the best-of-five Division Series — Colorado (90-70) leads that division and holds the tiebreaker over the Braves to host Game 1.“This year has been unbelievable,” manager Brian Snitker said. “What we’ve accomplished http://www.whitesoxfanproshop.com/authentic-michael-jordan-jersey , how we’ve grow, these guys should be proud of themselves. Ninety wins is hard to do. It speaks volumes to these players.”Johan Camargo, who homered, and Ronald Acuna Jr. each had three hits for Atlanta. Mike Foltynewicz pitched five strong innings, a week after helping the Braves beat Philadelphia to clinch their crown.“It’s been absolutely incredible,” Freeman said. “Every time we got knocked down, we got right back.”Rhys Hoskins homered in the ninth for the Phillies, who dropped their ninth straight game to guarantee a losing season for the sixth straight year. They have been outscored 70-21 during the skid, including 49-9 over the last five.Following games on Aug. 7, Philadelphia led Atlanta by 1 ½ games for first place in the NL East, standing 15 games above .500. But the Phillies (78-82) are 14-33 since and have fallen to third place, 12 games behind the Braves, and four games under .500.Manager Gabe Kapler was soundly booed throughout the evening. As is his wont, Kapler focused hard on the positives and praised the way the Phillies battled to the end.“We didn’t play well enough to win tonight’s baseball game and we’ve been playing terrible baseball,” Kapler said. “That’s why we’ve lost a lot of games. Not because we haven’t fought or because anybody quit.”Foltynewicz (13-10) allowed one run on one hit with nine strikeouts and no walks.“It was a good way for him to finish the regular season and get ready for the next step,” Snitker said.Jerad Eickhoff (0-1) made his first start since last Aug. 30 and tied a franchise record held by Curt Schilling and Hall of Famer Steve Carlton by striking out seven straight batters. The right-hander followed his seventh strikeout by surrendering Camargo’s solo homer in the fourth and a single by Ozzie Albies Carlton Fisk Jersey , ending his night.Kapler heard it from the crowd of 24,306 when he removed Eickhoff after just 56 pitches and for subsequent pitching changes. Eickhoff’s season ended last year due to nerve irritation in his right hand and he was sidelined until Sept. 2 of this season due to a right lat strain. He allowed two runs on five hits with eight strikeouts and no walks in 3 1/3 innings.“It would have been irresponsible to push him significantly beyond what he was ready for,” Kapler said.After Eickhoff left in the fourth, the Braves scored three runs on run-scoring singles by Charlie Culberson and Acuna off Edubray Ramos.Philadelphia got a run back in the bottom half on Odubel Herrera’s RBI double.After a Phillies error in the seventh, their 122nd of the season, helped Atlanta go up 5-1, the Braves scored three more in the eighth on Freeman’s two-run double and Ender Inciarte’s RBI single.FOLTYNEWICZ’S FANSFoltynewicz finished the regular season with 202 strikeouts, becoming the sixth pitcher in Braves history to reach the 200-strikeout milestone and first since Javier Vazquez had 238 in 2009.HOSKINS’ HOMERSHoskins upped his season total to 34 homers, the most for a Phillies player since 2009, when Ryan Howard (45), Jayson Werth (36) and Raul Ibanez (34) all had at least that many.TRAINER’S ROOMPhillies: Philadelphia is the only team in baseball without a player on the DL. According to the Phillies, it would be the first time since at least 1994 if they finish the season without a player on the DL.UP NEXTPhillies RHP Aaron Nola (16-6, 2.45) makes his final start when he opposes Braves RHP Anibal Sanchez on Saturday night.