BOSTON (AP) 鈥� Red Sox left-hander Payton Tolle took the Fenway Park mound on Sunday afternoon with a heavy heart.
Pitching two years and a day after his mother, Jina, died following a nearly eight-year battle with colon cancer, the 23-year-old Tolle wore his pant legs near his knees showing his pink socks on Mother鈥檚 Day.
When his start was rained out Saturday, Tolle had a lot more time to think about what pitching the next day would be like.
鈥淭his week is really tough for me. I鈥檓 not going to lie to you,鈥� he said, holding back tears after to the Tampa Bay Rays. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a tough weekend. I think yesterday would have been just as hard. I try to 鈥� it鈥檚 tough.
鈥淪o, I try to get away from it as much as I can but at the same time it鈥檚 life,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 part of it. Some things are bigger than baseball in that aspect.鈥�
Jina died on May 9, 2024, at 48 and Payton had a song in mind that he was holding for a certain day.
He took the mound, warming up for his start with the song 鈥淢other鈥� by the band Danzig playing in the background. He鈥檚 changed his song many times before he鈥檚 pitched but decided this was the one to honor his mom.
鈥淭here鈥檚 a little of a joke with my dad,鈥� he said, cracking a bit of a smile. 鈥淛ust that song, I鈥檝e had it in the back pocket for a long time, so I think it鈥檚 a pretty good walk-out song. You鈥檝e got to roll with it.鈥�
Tolle (1-2) gave up three runs in five innings, with seven hits and four strikeouts. He was coming off his first big league victory in his previous start, when he gave up a hit and struck out eight at Detroit on Monday.
What would his mom say after this start?
鈥淪uck it up and do better,鈥� he said, smiling.
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