Steven Wright’s unlikely success continues with mastery of Orioles

7:43 PM ET

BALTIMORE — Steven Wright has perspective that only comes from stagnating in the minor leagues and being told that learning to throw a knuckleball, the most gimmicky of all pitches, might save his career. And he has the humility of being traded for a fading prospect, yo-yoing between Triple-A and the majors, and then grabbing a spot in the Boston Red Sox’s starting rotation out of spring training only because another pitcher got injured.

So, after lowering his ERA to 2.45 and tossing his third complete game in 10 starts Monday, Wright is able to say what everyone else is thinking.

“I definitely sometimes pinch myself,” Wright said, “like, ‘Man, is this real?'”

Oh, it’s real all right. There’s no mistaking that David Price is the Red Sox’s ace, but the most effective pitcher on the best team in the American League is a 31-year-old knuckleballer who seriously considered retiring two years ago but will wake up Tuesday morning with as many complete games as all-world aces Clayton Kershaw, Chris Sale and Johnny Cueto.

Wright’s latest gem came in a Memorial Day matinee at Camden Yards. Facing the power-packed Baltimore Orioles lineup, he endured two brief bouts of command trouble in the second and fifth innings but was otherwise in complete control during a 7-2 victory. The high-octane Red Sox offense bludgeoned Orioles pitching for 11 hits, including solo home runs by Jackie Bradley Jr. and David Ortiz and the first homer of rookie infielder Marco Hernandez’s career, a three-run shot in the eighth inning that put the game out of reach and might have given Wright the opportunity to finish what he started.

Steven Wright reacts after finishing off the Orioles for his third complete game of the season, matching Clayton Kershaw, Chris Sale and Johnny Cueto for the league lead. Patrick Semansky/AP Photo

“To go nine innings against that lineup in this ballpark,” Boston manager John Farrell said after Wright threw a career-high 122 pitches, “an …

continue reading in source espn.go.com