BOSTON — Connelly Early was in bed Wednesday night when he received a video call from starter Sonny Gray. Without an off day after their trip to Denver, the Boston Red Sox had sent Early and Friday’s starter, Payton Tolle, back to Boston a day early for extra rest, not knowing how valuable that might be. Early found out from Gray that the Red Sox were stranded in Denver thanks to mechanical issues with their chartered flight.As Early drifted off to sleep, he knew it’d be a late-night-turned-early-morning for his team, coming off a tough trip out West.“Just wanted to come out strong, bring the energy, knowing they didn’t get much sleep,” Early said.The 24-year-old did just that. On what could have been a rough day for the Red Sox, who arrived home at 6 a.m. Thursday, they buckled down against the New York Yankees, who had American League Cy Young favorite Cam Schlittler on the mound.Early tossed six innings, holding a tough Yankees lineup to two runs, and Caleb Durbin, one day removed from dislocating his pinkie finger, blasted a go-ahead, two-run homer into the Monster seats in a four-run fifth inning. It was Boston’s first feel-good win in a while, beating the Yankees 6-3.
Go ahead, Durbin! pic.twitter.com/GVV3O2jqjt
