Morning Sports Update
“It definitely wasn’t expected.”
Red Sox pitcher Erik Miller during his debut with his new team. AP Photo/Charles Krupa
August 5, 2026 | 10:52 AM
3 minutes to read
A Red Sox trade from Erik Miller’s perspective: While many fans take it for granted that baseball players will be traded (especially on deadline day), it’s easy to forget the real-world implications it has for those involved in the deal.
For ex-Giants reliever Erik Miller, who Boston acquired on Monday in exchange for Marcelo Mayer, the realization that he’d been dealt to Boston came from a random glance at the television.
“It definitely wasn’t expected,” Miller said on Tuesday, per Gabrielle Starr of The Boston Herald.
“I didn’t really know until it flashed up on the TV when I was getting ready to go out and play catch,” he added. “It wasn’t really much of a heads up, but that’s kind of how it is with some of these things. You don’t get a big heads-up. But yeah, I mean [I’m] super excited though, when I saw that [on TV] obviously, to come to a place that’s contending, playing some meaningful games, it’s really cool.”
Though he was short on sleep — having traveled across the country on an early flight — Miller said it was a “good way to get the feet wet” in making his short but sweet Red Sox debut on Tuesday.
The 28-year-old lefty notched a strikeout on four pitches against the only batter he faced.
That said, he’s still getting his bearings as a member of the home team at Fenway Park.
“My natural reaction after I got the strikeout was to walk over to the other side, just like at Oracle,” he said, referencing his former home ballpark. “So I kind of had to revert back to the left.”
“When you have the Red Sox across your chest, that definitely feels a little bit different,” Miller explained. “I was a little nervous, but it wasn’t like anything anything too crazy. Like I said, I’m kind of just happy to get a good one out of the way, get a good first impression and kind of keep it rolling from here.”
The addition of Miller further solidifies what has become a formidable Boston bullpen. The 6-foot-5, 270-pound reliever now has a 2.14 ERA in his last 75 appearances spanning the 2025 and 2026 seasons.
Trivia: Erik Miller was a fourth-round pick by the Phillies in the 2019 MLB Draft. Who went first overall that year?
(Answer at the bottom).
Hint: A catcher, he was also recently in the local news.
Scores and schedules:
The Red Sox clobbered the White Sox 14-2 on Tuesday. The two teams meet again this evening at Fenway Park at 7:10 p.m.
The Revolution face the Houston Dynamo at Gillette Stadium on Saturday at 4:30 p.m.
And Legacy FC host the Portland Thorns at Centreville Bank Stadium in Pawtucket on Sunday at 4 p.m.
More from Boston.com:
An enjoyable rewatch: Red Sox fans can savor the continued dominance of their team during the recent run, pummeling the White Sox in Tuesday’s series opener.
Another Red Sox update: Kristian Campbell won Player of the Month for the WooSox after batting .379 with a 1.059 OPS in the month of July.
On this day: In 1997, the Red Sox crushed the Rangers 17-1 thanks to a collective lineup eruption. Nomar Garciaparra, Mo Vaughn, Wil Cordero, and Troy O’Leary all tallied three RBIs as the team slugged a total of 24 hits.
Daily highlight: Cincinnati attacking midfielder Evander scored an absolute rocket in the 3-1 Leagues Cup win over Pachuca on Tuesday.
Trivia answer: Adley Rutschman
Hayden Bird
Hayden Bird is a sports staff writer for Boston.com, where he has worked since 2016. He covers all things sports in New England.
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