All-Star omissions Gray, Contreras lead Sox to dominant Fourth of July victory

ANAHEIM -- Hours after being left off the initial American League All-Star Game roster, Sonny Gray pitched six strong innings to lead the Red Sox to an 8-1 victory over the Los Angeles Angels on Saturday night.

Gray allowed just four hits and one run -- a solo home run to Josh Lowe in the second inning -- while striking out seven and walking two. The performance further lowered his ERA to 2.61, though the veteran right-hander admitted postgame that finding his footing took a moment.

"I didn't have an edge," Gray said of his first two innings. "I didn't have an edge and it took me a minute to find one. ... That was a fight. That was just one that you grind through and you try to figure out a way to get better as it goes on."

Interim manager Chad Tracy noted that after pushing Gray hard in his previous outing, the early run cushion allowed him to pull the veteran after 70 pitches.

“He was great. the early part of the game ... had to kind of labor through a little bit. ... Once he got past that [second] inning, he settled in like he usually does and was very, very effective," Tracy said. “After pushing him hard, with the potential no-hitter last time, it just felt like it was good to give him a little extra breather.”

Gray was not the only Boston player left off the All-Star Game roster to impact the contest early.

First baseman Willson Contreras, who was also omitted from the initial AL selections, homered in his first at-bat. In the top of the first inning, Contreras hit a three-run home run off an 80.6 mph changeup to give Boston an early 3-0 lead. It was his 19th home run of the season.

Before the game, Contreras spoke about the All-Star selections, noting that while he tried not to build up expectations, he felt his performance merited a spot.

"If you ask me if I feel personally that I'm deserving, I would tell you yes," Contreras said.

In the clubhouse after the game, Gray echoed that sentiment regarding his own omission, offering a candid assessment of the news.

"I was disappointed, for sure," Gray said. "[I’m just] being honest. ... Happy for Ranger and happy for Chappie, for sure. Very well deserving, both of those guys. But a little selfishly, I was disappointed."

When asked if he used the snub as fuel against the Angels, Gray acknowledged it played a role.

"I used a lot of stuff for fuel tonight," Gray said. "Maybe that was a little part of something."

Contreras’s first-inning home run set the pace for a seven-hit night for Boston’s offense. The Red Sox broke the game open in the fifth inning against reliever Samy Natera Jr. Wilyer Abreu hit a two-run double to right field, and Romy Gonzalez followed with a two-run home run to push the lead to 7-1. Ceddanne Rafaela added an RBI double in the eighth inning to complete the scoring.

"We're doing a nice job taking our walks when they give them to us," Tracy said of the offensive approach. "Just be very selective. ... And then we got people on base and got three big swings from the big boys between Willson, Romy, and Abreu."

When asked if there was a connection between the All-Star omissions and the dominant performances delivered by his two star players on Saturday night, Tracy kept the focus on their baseline talent.

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"I think they're both just good and they're good regardless, but it was a good night to be good again," Tracy said. "Two deserving candidates, for sure."

With the win, the Red Sox secured a winning record on their road trip, with Gray already shifting his focus to finishing the job on Sunday.

"Sweeping a series on the road tomorrow would be something that is a good step in a good direction," Gray said. "So we need to finish off this series."