Knuckler in top form, Wright rolls on

BOSTON — Steven Wright’s knuckleball was as elusive to Red Sox catcher Ryan Hanigan as it was to the hitters who were flummoxed throughout a dominant, seven-inning performance Wednesday night.

In a 9-4 victory over the Braves, Wright’s knuckler fluttered away from bat barrels all night. There were also quite a few occasions when Hanigan’s oversized mitt that he uses only to catch Wright wasn’t quite big enough.

Hanigan had four passed balls, but it didn’t really matter. The way Wright was pitching, there wasn’t a whole lot of action on the basepaths.

“I was throwing it into the wind today, so with the wind blowing out like that, it kind of makes it move a little more than normal,” Wright said. “Hanny did a heck of a job snagging them. Some of them I thought were going by him, but he was able to knock them down. Got to give lot of credit to Hanny. We were on the same page all night.”

Hanigan felt a combination of satisfaction and relief after guiding Wright through the performance.

“Every time I catch it, it’s a small victory,” Hanigan …

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