DETROIT (AP) — Sonny Gray pitched five innings in his return from injury and the Boston Red Sox finished a three-game sweep of the Detroit Tigers with a 4-0 win on Wednesday night.
Gray (3-1) was making his first start since facing the Tigers on April 20 at Fenway Park — a game he left after 2 2/3 innings with a strained hamstring. He gave up four hits and two walks while striking out two on Wednesday.
Jack Flaherty (0-3) allowed four runs — two earned — on three hits and a walk in five innings. He struck out 10.
Flaherty struck out the first five batters he faced, but gave up two runs in each of the next two innings.
Marcelo Mayer led off the third with an infield single off Colt Keith’s glove at third base and Flaherty hit Carlos Narváez with a pitch. Caleb Durbin made it 1-0 with an RBI double and Willson Contreras added a sacrifice fly.
Masataka Yoshida singled and Ceddanne Rafaela walked in the fourth. After a strikeout, Narváez hit a grounder to third that went under Keith’s glove and down the left field line and two runners scored.
The Red Sox loaded the bases on three walks with one out in the seventh, bringing Brant Hurter out of the bullpen. He struck out Wilyer Abreu and got Trevor Story to ground out.
Detroit played without manager A.J. Hinch, who was suspended one game for Tuesday’s bench-clearing incident against the Red Sox. Tigers starter was originally suspended six games for hitting Story, but it was dropped to five games when he didn’t appeal.
Up next
Red Sox: Return to Fenway Park for a series against the Tampa Bay Rays. LHP Jake Bennett (1-0, 1.80 ERA) is scheduled to start on Thursday night. The Rays haven’t announced their pitcher.
Tigers: Are off Thursday before flying to Kansas City for a three-game series. RHP Keider Montero (2-2, 3.48) will start the opener against LHP Kris Bubic (3-1, 3.32).
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