The Red Sox looked like a different team in the best way possible.
Boston blanked the Atlanta Braves to even the three-game series by way of the pitching staff’s seventh shutout of the season. The Red Sox held down MLB’s best team and knocked around a starting pitcher riding plenty of momentum.
Here’s three takeaways from Wednesday’s win.
EXCELLENT EARLY
Connelly Early had thrown the ball fairly well in his three previous starts with no more than three earned runs allowed. Against arguably baseball’s
best lineup on Wednesday, the young Red Sox lefty tossed seven brilliant innings of shutout ball.
Early struck out seven hitters and allowed just four hits on the night. He matched his best start of the year from another seven-inning gem against the Rays on May 8.
HOW MANY RUNS IN AN INNING?
Baseball is a weird sport sometimes.
That’s the only explanation for an offense that’s struggled all season to explode against one of the best starting pitchers in baseball so far.
Bryce Elder sported a 1.97 ERA in 11 starts when he took the mound at Fenway Park. The right-hander posted three scoreless innings before the Red Sox tallied six runs (five earned) in the fourth inning to bring an early end to the night for the Atlanta starter.
Boston posted a six-run inning for just the second time this season, joining the 10-3 win over the Tigers on May 5.
ONE MORE!
The Red Sox are still the only team in baseball without 10 home victories on the season. Beating Chris Sale on Thursday to take the series would finally bring the Red Sox to the double-digits club with the rest of the league.
