Record breaking night for Lavarnway

The Guru
Contributing Writer

Boston starting pitcher Steven Wright had the knuckleball dancing so much Tuesday night in Houston that the Astros couldn't get any wood on it. Unfortunately, Red Sox backstop Ryan Lavarnway couldn't get any leather on it.

Lavarnway tied the Major League Baseball record for passed balls in an inning with four. The golden sombrero of catching feats. He would have had the record all to himself but for some generous scoring.

Lavarnway's four passed balls in an inning tied the mark first set in 1954 by Ray Katt of the New York Giants who was catching legendary knuckleballer Hoyt Wilhelm. Gino Petralli of the Texas Rangers tied the record in 1987 trying to catch another knuckleballer, Charlie Hough.

Sorry Ryan, Cooperstown's not calling for your glove, but maybe they should.

Before the start of the second inning, Red Sox manager John Farrell had seen all he needed from Wright and replaced him with Brandon Workman. No word if Houston state troopers were on their way to pick up Doug Mirabelli at the airport or not.

Lavarnway did redeem himself in the fifth inning when he lined a double to left-center, knocking in the tying and go-ahead runs in the Sox 15-10 win.


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