Pivetta started the home game against the Detroit Tigers at Fenway Park in Boston on the 31st, and showed off his strength to strike out eight consecutive batters, starting with Mark Canha after one out in the first inning and Matt Bearing as the last batter in the third inning.
This equalled the team record for eight consecutive strikeouts recorded by Clemens against the Seattle Mariners on May 1, 1986. The MLB record is 10 consecutive hitters held by Tom Seaver, Aaron Nola and Corbin Burns.
Clemens struck out a total of 20 strikeouts, including eight consecutive batters at the time, setting the record for most strikeouts in a single major league game. Clemens produced another 20 strikeouts on September 19, 1996, when his opponent was Detroit.
After one out in the first inning, Pivetta struck out Khanha with a full count match, opening the prelude to consecutive strikeouts. Then, after Gio Urshela also struck out with a full-count fastball outside, Pivetta struck out Colt Keith and Akil Badu with a rookie strikeout in the second inning, and Spencer Tokelson also struck out with a sweeper that bends significantly to the lower side.
Pivetta continued his fearsome pitching in the third inning. He struck out Javier Vaes, Carson Kelly, and Bearing. All three hitters struck out the ball as sweeper.
Despite such overwhelming pitching, Pivetta used his yoke as a losing pitcher, not a victory. On the day, Boston's batters were dragged out by Detroit starter Zack Flaherty with one out in the seventh inning without a hit, resulting in only two hits and no run. Pivetta also pitched well, but gave up the first run after hitting a solo home run by Badu with one out in the fifth inning, and gave up three hits, nine strikeouts and two runs in the fifth inning, before losing the game with one out and runners on the first and third bases in the sixth inning. Boston gave up three more runs in the eighth inning, resulting in an 0-5 complete defeat.