WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Connelly Early struck out 11 to tie the Red Sox record for a major league debut, and Boston beat the Athletics 6-0 Tuesday night to close on the New York Yankees for the top American League wild card.
Early (1-0) matched Don Aase’s 11 strikeouts against Milwaukee on July 26, 1977. That was the career high for Aase, who pitched 447 more games — mostly in relief — during a 13-season career.
Boston (81-65) took a four-run lead before making an out, winning its third straight game and moving within one percentage point of the Yankees (80-64).