All-Star snub motivates Red Sox pitcher Sonny Gray
Red Sox pitcher Sonny Gray improved to 10-1 after allowing one run in six innings during Boston's 8-1 win over the Angels on Sunday in Anaheim, Calif. (William Liang/Associated Press)
ANAHEIM, Calif. — An All-Star snub provided some extra motivation for Sonny Gray on Saturday night, the Boston Red Sox right-hander using the slight for fuel in an 8-1 victory over the Los Angeles Angels.
The 36-year-old Gray allowed a run and four hits in six innings, striking out seven and walking two, to improve to 10-1 with a 2.61 ERA — the second-best mark in the American League. He has six straight quality starts since May 30, going 5-0 with a 1.97 ERA.
But when All-Star rosters were announced Saturday, fellow starter Ranger Suarez and closer Aroldis Chapman were Boston’s only picks for the AL team.
“I was disappointed, a little bummed, for sure,” Gray 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.”
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Gray carried a no-hitter into the eighth inning of his previous start, a 7 1/3 inning, one-hit, nine-strikeout, 97-pitch effort in a 5-4 win over the New York Yankees last Sunday.
Interim manager Chad Tracy thinks there is a good chance that Gray will be added to the AL roster.
“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.”
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