Major League Baseball

The Red Sox's unexpected ace is this season's first 20-game winner

Published Nov. 15, 2016 2:57 p.m. ET

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Chris Bahr

Right-hander Rick Porcello stayed red-hot on Friday in the Red Sox’s 13-3 win over the Blue Jays.

Porcello tossed seven innings of two-run ball, striking out seven and allowing just six hits to improve to 20-3 on the season. It was the ninth consecutive start in which Porcello allowed three or fewer earned runs, and Boston is 7-2 in that span.

And it made Porcello the majors’ first 20-game winner this season. That’s right. Not Jake Arrieta, not Max Scherzer, not even teammate David Price.

In addition to his 20 wins this season, Porcello has a career-best 3.21 ERA (ninth in the AL) and a career-best 1.02 WHIP (third in the AL).

This comes on the heels of a miserable first season in Boston for Porcello, who went 9-15 with a 4.92 ERA in 2015. Prior to last season, Porcello inked a four-year, $82.5 million extension before ever throwing a pitch for the Red Sox, who acquired him from the Tigers after the 2014 season.

Suddenly, that contract seems like a bargain as the 27-year-old thrusts himself into the AL Cy Young Award race.

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