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Ryan Lavarnway did not have the greatest night behind the plate on Tuesday. Knuckleballer While Steven Wright was by no means perfect, walking two and hitting another batter with a pitch in his one inning of work, it was the combined struggles of this battery that led to Wright throwing just the one inning. That's what happens when your catcher ties a record for passed balls with four, in a single inning of work:
What's strange is that Lavarnway had caught Wright eight times in the past, as, despite Wright's limited major-league action, the pair has played together in Triple-A Pawtucket. He didn't look like he had ever seen a knuckler before in the above video, however, and on a night when Wright's control wasn't perfect from the start, it led to a three-run hole for the Red Sox early.
Luckily, the Sox came back to win 15-10 despite the way things started -- with a little help from a two-run Lavarnway double, even -- but these two combined for a horrific frame that kind of makes me want to never see them work together again. Reactionary, sure, and likely they'll do much better next time. But until then: nightmares.