The Boston Red Sox finally got a great pitching performance and it happened to be in the one game that they didn’t use a starter from their vaunted rotation.
Hector Velazquez officially started Sunday’s pitching duel against the Arizona Diamondbacks but was stretched out enough to last only three innings and 39 pitches. He made the most of his limited time on the mound, blanking the opposing lineup while allowing only one hit. Four different relievers picked up where Velazquez left off in what essentially amounted to a bullpen game, combining to allow only three base runners the rest of the game in a 1-0 victory.