ANAHEIM, Calif. — Getting passed over for the All-Star Game gave Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Sonny Gray some extra fire Saturday evening, and he made the most of it, leading his team to an 8-1 victory against the Los Angeles Angels.
The 36-year-old Gray turned in a strong outing, giving up just one run on four hits across six innings of work. He struck out seven batters and walked two, pushing his record to 10-1 with a 2.61 ERA — the second-lowest mark among American League pitchers. Over his last six starts dating back to May 30, Gray has gone 5-0 with a 1.97 ERA, a stretch that includes six consecutive quality starts.
Despite that impressive run, when All-Star selections were announced Saturday, Gray was not among them. Starter Ranger Suarez and closer Aroldis Chapman were the only two Boston players chosen for the American League squad.
Gray didn’t hide his feelings after the game. “I was disappointed, a little bummed, for sure,” he said. “I’m just being honest, you know? I’m happy for Ranger, and I’m happy for Chappy, for sure. They’re very well-deserving. But a little selfishly, yeah, I was disappointed.”
Gray’s recent performances have been hard to ignore. In his previous outing last Sunday, he carried a no-hitter into the eighth inning against the New York Yankees, ultimately finishing with 7 1/3 innings pitched, one hit allowed, nine strikeouts, and 97 pitches thrown in a 5-4 win.
Interim manager Chad Tracy believes the door may not be completely closed for Gray when it comes to the Midsummer Classic. “When the All-Star Game happens, there’s so much roster fluctuation — it happens every year with pitchers who can’t go, people are hurt, people back out,” Tracy said. “Things happen, so I’m still holding out hope for a couple more guys on the team who I feel are deserving.”
