BOSTON — Steven Wright owns the American League’s best ERA at 2.09, but he’ll have his work cut out for him Wednesday night.
The right-handed knuckleballer will get the start at Fenway Park against the Baltimore Orioles, who lead Major League Baseball with 101 home runs through 53 games and hit two long balls Tuesday night to earn a 3-2 win in the teams’ series opener.
Wright has been on a roll lately, though. He has won four consecutive decisions and hasn’t allowed an earned run in either of his last two starts. The veteran also has allowed just three home runs in 12 starts this season, which bodes well for his chances against the homer-dependent Orioles.
“I think it has a lot to do with the late, violent action that he creates,” Red Sox manager John Farrell said Wednesday of Wright’s ability to limit home runs. “Typically (for) a knuckleballer, it’s going to be moving downward, but his is late to the zone, so you see a lot of the mis-hits be on the ground.”
Christian Vazquez will catch Wright for the second straight start since Ryan Hanigan went on the disabled list. Vazquez will bat ninth, as Boston’s lineup remains unchanged from Tuesday night.
Check out both full lineups for Tuesday’s game below.
RED SOX (36-27)
Mookie Betts, RF
Dustin Pedroia, 2B
Xander Bogaerts, SS
David Ortiz, DH
Hanley Ramirez, 1B
Jackie Bradley Jr., CF
Chris Young, LF
Travis Shaw, 3B
Christian Vazquez, C
Steven Wright, RHP (7-4, 2.09 ERA)
ORIOLESÂ (37-26)
Adam Jones, CF
Hyun Soo Kim, LF
Manny Machado, SS
Chris Davis, 1B
Mark Trumbo, DH
Matt Wieters, C
Jonathan Schoop, 2B
Joey Rickard, RF
Ryan Flaherty, 3B
Kevin Gausman, RHP (0-3, 3.45 ERA)
Thumbnail photo via Winslow Townson/USA TODAY Sports Images
