Five things we learned Monday: You don’t have to throw hard

10:01 AM ET

Chicago Cubs relievers threw seven perfect innings after starter Jason Hammel left with a leg cramp, Bryce Harper left after getting hit in the knee by a pitch but saw the Nationals rally to beat the Phillies and Gregory Polanco continues to mash for the Pirates. Five things we learned on Monday:

1. The Wright stuff. Boston Red Sox knuckleballer Steven Wright, making $29.5 million less than David Price, has been the team’s best starter and tossed his third complete game in Boston’s 7-2 victory over the Orioles, improving to 5-4 with a 2.45 ERA. Only Clayton Kershaw, Chris Sale and Johnny Cueto can match his three complete games. He did walk five batters in throwing 122 pitches, but induced 13 ground balls and struck out seven. Wright was once a conventional pitcher, with enough talent to get drafted in the second round by the Indians in 2006, but later shifted to throwing the knuckleball as his minor-league career fizzled. The Red Sox acquired him for Lars Anderson back in 2012, he’s shuttled back and forth between Boston and Triple-A the past couple of seasons, and he even considered retiring a couple years ago. What can make him so tough is he can still throw an 85- to 87-mph fastball, as a change of pace to the knuckleball. Check out this pitch he threw to Chris Davis.

2. There’s a bright spot for …

continue reading in source espn.go.com