Mookie Betts, Steven Wright Lead Red Sox To Win Over Houston
HOUSTON -- Steven Wright tossed his sixth consecutive quality start and the Boston Red Sox turned an early stream of offense into a 6-2 win over the Houston Astros on Friday night at Minute Maid Park.
Wright (1-2) befuddled the Astros (5-12) with his knuckleball, allowing just four hits and one unearned run over 6 2/3 innings. He did issue five walks along with his six strikeouts, only coming undone when catcher Ryan Hanigan allowed two passed balls in the seventh inning.
This outing represented a complete departure from his first career appearance against Houston. On Aug. 6, 2013, Wright lasted just one inning, allowing three runs on one hit and two walks.
The Astros managed baserunners in every inning against Wright excluding the fourth, but he rarely approached danger. He has allowed just three earned runs over three starts this season, with his streak of quality starts dating back to July 30, 2015, against the White Sox.
Wright clearly benefitted from the early lead the Red Sox (8-8) scratched across against Astros right-hander Collin McHugh (1-3), who wasn't nearly as sharp. Right fielder Mookie Betts finished 4-for-5 with three runs scored and was one of five Red Sox with a multi-hit game.
Dustin Pedroia, Xander Bogaerts, Hanley Ramirez and Travis Shaw recorded two hits apiece against Houston, which has lost four in a row. The Astros fashioned a ninth-inning rally against left-hander Robbie Ross Jr., but closer Craig Kimbrel recorded the final out for his fifth save.
From his initial batter, McHugh encountered deep trouble and those difficulties lingered throughout his laborious four-inning, 92-pitch stint.
The first four batters reached for the Red Sox, with Betts stroking a leadoff triple and scoring when Dustin Pedroia followed with a single to right.
Bogaerts followed with a single that pushed Pedroia into scoring position and Ramirez plated Pedroia with a sacrifice fly to left field after David Ortiz walked.
McHugh limited the damage to two runs in the first inning but his struggles continued in the second when Jackie Bradley Jr. and Betts delivered consecutive doubles to build the Red Sox lead to 3-0.
Ramirez was the first of three consecutive batters to reach with one out in the third, and by the time Bogaerts doubled home Betts in the fourth, Boston led 5-0.
Having entered his previous home start with the best career winning percentage of any pitcher with at least 15 decisions at Minute Maid Park, McHugh dropped his second consecutive start at home. He allowed five runs on 10 hits and one walk while striking out three.
NOTES: In an attempt to load his lineup with right-handed hitters against Red Sox knuckleballer Steven Wright, Astros manager A.J. Hinch benched left-handed-hitting C Jason Castro. Castro has struggled at the plate, batting .132/.214/.237 with one RBI. Hinch was close to inserting Evan Gattis behind the plate in the late innings against the Rangers on Thursday night but strategy prevented him from doing so. ... The Red Sox recalled LHP Roenis Elias from Triple-A Pawtucket and optioned RHP William Cuevas to Pawtucket. Cuevas made his major league debut Thursday night and suffered the loss, allowing two runs on three hits and two walks over 2 1/3 innings. In two starts with Pawtucket, Elias was 0-1 with a 3.86 ERA. ... All of the Astros Foundation's proceeds from the Share2Care 50/50 raffle during the weekend series against Boston will go to the American Red Cross Houston flood relief efforts. The proceeds will benefit residents affected by the flooding in the Houston area earlier this week. ... The Red Sox will recall RHP Henry Owens from Triple-A Pawtucket on Sunday so that he can start the series finale against the Astros. Owens (1-1, 1.00 ERA) was 4-4 with a 4.57 ERA over 11 starts with the Red Sox last season.
