Red Sox Tolle Pitches on Mothers Day Near Moms Death Anniversary

Boston Red Sox left-hander Payton Tolle pitched through personal grief on Sunday afternoon at Fenway Park, taking the mound on Mother's Day exactly two years and a day after his mother, Jina, died at age 48 following an eight-year battle with colon cancer.

The 23-year-old Tolle, whose start had been rained out the previous day, wore pink socks visible above his pant legs pulled near his knees as a tribute. He warmed up to the song "Mother" by the band Danzig, a track he had saved for a meaningful occasion. "There's a little of a joke with my dad," Tolle said afterward, managing a smile. "Just that song, I've had it in the back pocket for a long time, so I think it's a pretty good walkout song. You've got to roll with it."

Tolle entered the game with a 1-2 record, fresh off his first major league victory last Monday in Detroit, where he allowed one hit and struck out eight. Against the Tampa Bay Rays, however, he surrendered three runs over five innings on seven hits with four strikeouts. Boston fell 4-1.

Postgame, Tolle spoke candidly about the emotional weight of the weekend, holding back tears. "This week is really tough for me. I'm not going to lie to you," he said. "It's a...