(Sports Correspondent: Imran Sohail)
Connelly Early Ties Red Sox Debut Strikeout Record in 6-0 Win Over Athletics
Boston: Rookie pitcher Connelly Early made a dream debut for the Boston Red Sox, striking out 11 batters to tie a franchise record for most strikeouts in a major league debut. The Red Sox cruised past the Oakland Athletics 6-0 on Tuesday night, tightening the race for the American League wild card.
Early, a 23-year-old left-hander drafted in the fifth round of 2023, matched the mark set by Don Aase in 1977. Aase’s 11 strikeouts against Milwaukee stood as the Red Sox debut record for nearly five decades.
Red Sox Close Gap on Yankees
With the win, Boston (81-65) extended its winning streak to three games, moving within just one percentage point of the New York Yankees (80-64) in the AL wild-card standings.
Early (1-0) showed poise on the mound, giving up just five hits and one walk while throwing 61 of 90 pitches for strikes. He became the third Red Sox pitcher this season to debut as a starter, following Hunter Dobbins and Payton Tolle.
Early Offensive Spark
The Red Sox wasted no time building momentum, scoring four runs before recording an out.
-
Romy González extended his hitting streak to 12 games with a leadoff home run, then later added an RBI double before exiting with left knee soreness.
-
Rob Refsnyder smashed a towering 463-foot homer, the longest by a Boston player this season.
-
Alex Bregman and Trevor Story also chipped in with key hits.
-
Masataka Yoshida added an RBI groundout in the eighth to seal the victory.
Looking Ahead
Boston continues to make a strong push toward the postseason, while the Athletics struggled to generate offense against Early’s dominant pitching. The Red Sox will now aim to build on their momentum and overtake the Yankees in the heated wild-card race.
