Garrett Richards strikes out 10 batters, Bobby Dalbec hits first home run of season as Boston Red Sox beat Mets, 2-1

NEW YORK — Reports of Garrett Richards’ demise were greatly exaggerated.

Richards, who walked six batters and threw just 48 of his 92 pitches for strikes against Toronto in his last outing, pounded the strike zone Tuesday night, striking out 10 Mets batters in one of the best performances by a Red Sox starter so far this season. Boston won, 2-1, behind Bobby Dalbec’s first home run of the season and a game-winning Rafael Devers RBI single in the sixth.

Richards was largely dominant in seven innings at Citi Field, allowing seven hits and issuing zero walks en route to his first win as a member of the Red Sox. His only blemish came in the second inning, when Mets second baseman Jeff McNeil hit a solo home run to the upper deck in right field. Richards threw 70 of his 93 pitches (75.3%) for strikes, throwing 44 breaking balls in the outing.

A half-inning after McNeil gave the Mets an early lead, Dalbec answered back with a solo shot of his own, sending a David Peterson pitch the opposite way for a 390-foot home run. Boston only had five hits on the game but put two together in the sixth, with Devers singling home Kiké Hernández after Hernández led off the inning with an opposite-field double.

Relievers Matt Andriese and Matt Barnes each pitched scoreless innings to preserve the lead, with Barnes striking out two batters as he recorded his fifth save of the year. The Red Sox improved to 15-9 and are now 7-1 on the road in 2021.

deGrom awaits in finale

It’ll be an uphill battle for the Red Sox to sweep the two-game series Wednesday night, as back-to-back Cy Young winner Jacob deGrom will be on the mound for New York. deGrom has allowed just one earned run in 29 innings this year (0.31 ERA) while striking out 50 batters and walking just three.

Nick Pivetta will be on the hill for Boston after taking a no-hitter into the sixth inning his last time out against the Mariners. First pitch is scheduled for 6:40 p.m.

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