The Boston Red Sox avoided a sweep to the rival New York Yankees with a 5-1 win in the Bronx on Sunday night.
Knuckleball pitcher Steven Wright was brilliant again, tossing a one-run complete game and giving up just three hits for his third victory of the season. The Red Sox offense was powered by four home runs — two from David Ortiz, and one from both Dustin Pedroia and Xander Bogaerts.
Here’s a recap of Sunday night’s game.
GAME IN A WORD
History.
Ortiz’s two blasts moved him past Red Sox legend Carl Yastrzemski and into second place on the team’s all-time homer list.
IT WAS OVER WHEN…
Ortiz’s home run in the seventh inning, which gave Boston a 4-0 lead, was more than enough insurance for Wright and the Red Sox bullpen to finish the game.
ON THE BUMP
— Wright allowed a first-inning single to Brian McCann, but that was the only Yankee baserunner in an otherwise solid frame. Wright was just as good in the second, inducing a double play after walking Aaron Hicks. He pitched his first clean inning in the third, retiring the side in order.
Wright was perfect in the fourth and fifth innings, too, with two strikeouts in each frame. The sixth inning was more of the same, as the knuckleballer tallied another 1-2-3 frame. Wright gave up a double to Starlin Castro to begin the seventh, but he was thrown out at home on a fielder’s choice later in the inning. The Yankees didn’t have any more luck in the eighth as Wright set them down in order.
Wright’s shutout bid ended in the ninth when Brett Gardner hit a solo shot to right field, but that was the only run he’d surrender. Wright gave up one earned run on three hits, while striking out seven and walking one over nine innings.
IN THE BATTER’S BOX
— Mookie Betts led off the game with a walk and scored on Dustin Pedroia’s home run.
— Pedroia’s two-run blast was his fifth of the season. It was his only hit of the game. He also struck out once.
— Ortiz now has nine home runs on the season after blasting two in this game, one in the fourth inning and another in the seventh.
— Xander Bogaerts struck out twice, but he hit his second homer of the season in the eighth inning. He finished 1-for-4.
— Brock Holt and Jackie Bradley Jr. each collected one hit. They both struck out once, too.
— Betts (0 for 3), Hanley Ramirez (0-for-3), Travis Shaw (0-for-4) and Ryan Hanigan (0-for-3) were the Red Sox starters without a hit. Ramirez was hit by a pitch in the ninth inning and stole second base.
TWEET OF THE NIGHT
Dustin Pedroia went yard in the first inning.
Pink seems to work for @15Lasershow! 👍 pic.twitter.com/o2A5MsLKdr
— Red Sox (@RedSox) May 9, 2016
UP NEXT
The Red Sox return home for a three-game series with the Oakland Athletics beginning Monday night at Fenway Park.
Thumbnail photo via Andy Marlin/USA TODAY Sports Images
