Knuckleballer delivering Wright stuff consistently for Red Sox

12:38 AM ET

BOSTON — After issuing a four-pitch walk to Atlanta Braves third baseman Daniel Castro with two outs in the top of the seventh inning on Wednesday night, Boston Red Sox right-hander Steven Wright received a visit from pitching coach Carl Willis.

Willis seemed to smirk as he approached and Wright shook his head in disgust. The knuckleballer then agreed with whatever his coach had to say, stepped back to the rubber and proceeded to end another outstanding effort in dramatic fashion, fanning the next man up on three pitches and jogging off triumphantly.

It was Wright’s season-high eighth strikeout and it gave him seven full innings for the first time in 2016. Just one of the two runs he allowed in the eventual 9-4 win was earned, dropping his ERA to 1.37, and Atlanta’s three hits against Wright came in a span of four batters in the second.

Aside from Castro’s walk, the only man to reach in the final four frames against Wright came after he fanned Erick Aybar in the fourth but the third strike rolled to the backstop, one of four passed balls on catcher Ryan Hanigan, who valiantly contended with the vicious knuckleball all night.

“He’s been doing great for us,” Hanigan said. “Chewing up …

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