Red Sox ride Sonny Gray’s gem, Wilyer Abreu homer to 4-0 win

The Red Sox haven’t been scoring much lately, but Sonny Gray made sure they didn’t need to Saturday night.

Gray delivered seven shutout innings and Wilyer Abreu supplied the only run Boston needed with another home run as the Red Sox blanked the Pirates, 4-0, at PNC Park.

Andruw Monasterio finally gave Boston some breathing room with a two-run double in the ninth before Jahmai Jones added an RBI single to put the game away.

The win was only Boston’s second in its last eight games, but it also marked the club’s 13th shutout of the season and second in three games.

For most of the night, this was all about Gray.

The veteran right-hander scattered six hits, walked one and kept Pittsburgh off the scoreboard for seven innings to become the first American League pitcher to reach 15 wins this season.

It’s also the first 15-win season of Gray’s career.

Gray, who was an All-Star snub in July, has firmly worked his way into the American League Cy Young conversation. He’s also become the Red Sox’ de facto ace with Garrett Crochet missing most of the season because of a lat injury.

“When you lose Garrett, obviously going into the season as the ace of the staff, and what Sonny has done as far as leading our rotation, you cannot understate how important that’s been,” interim manager Chad Tracy said after the game. “Especially with some rookies in there. He’s been absolutely (the staff ace), to answer that question.”

His biggest test came in the fifth as Pittsburgh loaded the bases on two singles and a walk, putting Gray in his first real jam of the night. But with the tying and go-ahead runs in scoring position, Gray escaped without allowing the Pirates to cash in.

“I'm just trying to be myself. I'm not trying to be anyone other than who I am,” said Gray. “Obviously, Garrett is very missed. I mean, he’s an electric guy, just his personality. He's a dude, right? I do know, there's moments like tonight, when you need to go out and win a baseball game."

Boston quickly jumped ahead when Abreu crushed a 96.8 mph fastball from Jared Jones in the second inning and sent it over the right-field wall for his 22nd home run of the season, matching the career high he established last year.

It was also Abreu’s 11th homer since the All-Star break, the most in the majors over that span.

Abreu doubled in the fourth, giving him his 12th game with multiple extra-base hits this season, the most in the American League.

At a time when Willson Contreras has cooled and much of the Red Sox lineup has struggled to produce consistently, Abreu has emerged as the club’s most dangerous hitter.

The Red Sox had several opportunities to give Gray some breathing room and repeatedly came away empty-handed.

Masataka Yoshida doubled with one out in the third to put runners at second and third, but Boston failed to score.

An inning later, things were even more frustrating after Contreras walked to begin the fourth before Abreu doubled, giving Boston runners at second and third with nobody out. A groundout and strikeout followed before Monasterio battled through a 10-pitch at-bat, only to fly out and end the threat. 

Despite the offense’s lack of execution, Gray remained dialed in on the mound.

Gray handed a 1-0 lead to the bullpen after seven, giving Tracy his first opportunity to show how he might navigate a close late-inning lead without Garrett Whitlock.