Steven Wright Pitches A Gem And Papi Goes Yard Twice In Win Over Yankees
Rick Porcello or Steven Wright. Take your pick. They have been the two aces of the Red Sox starting rotation thus far. And in a time when their $217 million “stud” David Price hasn’t had the best first month of the season, they’ve been extremely valuable.
Porcello has the better record of the two at 5-1, but Wright boasts a team-best 1.52 ERA. On Sunday night the knuckleballer had his best outing yet, pitching a complete game and allowing just one run to improve to 3-3. He had a chance for the shutout before giving up a solo shot Brett Gardner in the bottom of the ninth.
Luckily the Sox had a 5-0 cushion before the homer, courtesy of four dingers of their own.
Dustin Pedroia started things off with a two-run blast in the first inning, his fifth of the year.
Then it was time for the David Ortiz show. We mentioned a couple days ago how Papi is on his way to the greatest last season of all-time in terms of home runs and RBI’s. He added to that Sunday night with a solo homer in the fourth and another one in the seventh as he continues to be the best 40 year-old hitter you’ve ever seen.
Xander Bogaerts added some insurance in the eighth with another solo shot, extending the lead to 5-0.
The Sox are now 18-13, a half game behind the Orioles for first place in the AL East.
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Photo Credit: Kathy Willens/AP Photo via MassLive.com