The Boston Red Sox snapped a three-game losing streak on Tuesday, drubbing the American League West-leading Houston Astros at Daikin Park by a score of 14-1.
There were obviously numerous highlights for Boston, including home runs for a second night in a row by both veteran free agent signing Alex Bregman, playing his first games against his previous team since signing with the Red Sox, and Rookie of the Year candidate Roman Anthony.
But perhaps the biggest highlight for the Red Sox was the stellar outing by Dustin May, the former Los Angeles Dodgers right-hander picked up just minutes before the 6 p.m. Eastern Time trade deadline on July 31. May shut out the Astros over six innings, striking out eight against one walk and five base hits.
May’s Zany Facial Expressions Go Viral
An even bigger highlight, however, was May’s demonstrative mode of celebration, with some zany facial expressions, every time he ended an inning with a strikeout, which happened in three of the six innings he threw.
The glove-slamming, grinning and even in one inning, licking his lips with delight may have made the 27-year-old six-year veteran appear to be showing up the Astros hitters â while delighting Red Sox fans who, like most fans, enjoy displays of emotion on the field from their players.
May Celebrating After Near-Death Experience
For the Dodgers’ 2016 third-round draft pick, however, the sometimes over-the-top celebrations served a specific purpose, to remind himself to focus on the good moments of his career, which has been marred by injuries.
Not only has May undergone two elbow surgeries, including Tommy John in 2021 and flexor tendon repair in 2023, he came close to losing his life in a freak, off-the-field accident last year.
While dining at a restaurant with his wife and friends, a piece of food somehow caused a rupture in May’s esophagus, causing him to be rushed to a hospital where emergency surgery saved his life.
â[The salad] just got lodged in my throat a certain way. Instead of going down, it went out,â May recounted earlier this year, as quoted by MLB.com. âI would have been six feet under that night.â
New Red Sox Pitcher Tries to ‘Ride the Highs’
That and the other hardships in his career have caused May to focus on the positive, and his on-the-mound celebrations are his method for doing that.
âI definitely try to ride the highs,â May said, as quoted by Tim Healey of The Boston Globe. âI had a lot of lows this year, so whenever I do have the good moments, I try to let my brain know that âhey, you got it, itâs still in you for sure.ââ
âI havenât had many highs this year or in the last three years,â May continued. âJust to be able to be pitching right now is a good thing in itself.”
85 Percent First-Pitch Strikes
One high for May with the Dodgers this year came on July 3 when he pitched five perfect innings to start the game against the Chicago White Sox before allowing a one-out single to Brooke Baldwin in the sixth, on the way to a 6-2 Dodger victory.
But Tuesday’s start was another, impressing not only himself but manager Alex Cora, as well.
“It was 85 percent first-pitch strikes,” Cora commented after the game. “When you do that, youâre going to have nights like that.”
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