All-Star snub helps fuel Red Sox pitcher Sonny Gray in 8-1 win over Angels

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — 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.”

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.”

__

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb