Red Sox top prospect Payton Tolle was impressive in his debut against the Pittsburgh Pirates. He was originally scheduled to face the Cleveland Guardians, but the team opted to push him back to work on more rest. He’ll be the starter for Friday’s series opener against the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Against the Pirates, Tolle was excellent. He threw 60% fastballs and generated nine whiffs. The pitch averaged 96.2 mph as he fed off the energy from the Fenway Park crowd.

“I was telling [Red Sox mental skills coach Jake Chaplin], I was like, I didn’t have to create any of my own energy,” Tolle said on the 310 To Left Podcast.

Friday will be a different story. Tolle will take the mound on the road for the first time as a big leaguer in Arizona. He won’t have the adrenaline that comes with a d

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