Boston Red Sox

Gray went six innings Saturday for the third time this month.

With ace Garrett Crochet out since April 29 with left shoulder inflammation, the Boston Red Sox starting rotation has been forced to step up.

From Ranger Suarez to Sonny Gray, the starters have done just that, even before Crochet’s injury.

Gray in particular has been outstanding for the Red Sox, and he continued his stellar year in Saturday’s 9-1 win over the Cleveland Guardians.

The 36-year-old right-hander allowed back-to-back doubles to lead off the game, and the Guardians got out to an early 1-0 lead. First-inning struggles are something Boston has routinely dealt with this season; this time, the problems were not too much to overcome for the starter or the lineup.

Gray allowed a single and a walk in the second inning, and then a leadoff walk in the third, but nothing came of the traffic for Cleveland.

He settled in nicely the rest of the way, tossing six innings on 92 pitches (58 strikes). Gray allowed four total hits, one run, three walks, and struck out seven. All seven of his Ks came via breaking balls.

After the contest, Gray explained he made an in-game adjustment based on the Guardians’ approach. He said their hitters, particularly their lefties, were looking to pull the ball. Once he made the change, he saw success in his final three frames.

“They jumped me early and it just felt like we needed to make an adjustment,” Gray told reporters. “Being able to execute that – the adjustment – was nice. That was a fun one.”

In Gray’s sixth and final inning, he ended on a high note by striking out the side. He said the adjustment he made earlier helped him have success later.

“I definitely felt like I got stronger, but also I changed what I was doing a little bit,” he said.

Gray collected 14 swings-and-misses and lowered his ERA to 3.06 on the year.

Through five starts in May, he owned a 2.00 ERA and made it through six full innings in three outings. He also allowed just one home run in 27 innings this month.

Gray’s consistency has been a welcome factor in an otherwise brutal season for Boston. The Red Sox are 7-3 in Gray’s starts, and he’s earned six victories to his record.

The 14-year MLB veteran is earning $31 million this year and has a $30 million mutual option with a $10 million buyout in 2027. It’s still early in the season, so whether the Red Sox will be buyers or sellers at the trade deadline remains to be seen. But based on Gray’s performance in a Boston uniform, what the team decides to do with him this year and beyond will be an interesting storyline to follow.