ANAHEIM, Calif. -- An All-Star snub provided some extra motivation for Sonny Gray on Saturday night, the Boston Red Sox right-hander using the slight for fuel in an 8-1 victory over the Los Angeles Angels.
Gray, 36, allowed a run and four hits in six innings, striking out seven and walking two, to improve to 10-1 with a 2.61 ERA, the second-best mark in the American League. He has six straight quality starts since May 30, going 5-0 with a 1.97 ERA.
But when All-Star rosters were announced Saturday, fellow starter Ranger Suarez and closer Aroldis Chapman were Boston's only picks for the American League team.
"I was disappointed, a little bummed, for sure," Gray said. "I'm just being honest, you know? I'm happy for Ranger and I'm happy for Chappy, for sure. They're very well-deserving. But a little selfishly, yeah, I was disappointed."
Gray carried a no-hitter into the eighth inning of his previous start, a 7⅓ inning, one-hit, nine-strikeout, 97-pitch effort in a 5-4 win over the New York Yankees on Sunday.
Interim manager Chad Tracy said he believes there is a good chance that Gray will be added to the AL roster.
"When the All-Star Game happens, there's so much roster fluctuation. It happens every year with pitchers who can't go, people are hurt, people back out," Tracy said. "Things happen, so I'm still holding out hope for a couple more guys on the team who I feel are deserving."