Boston Red Sox pitcher Nick Pivetta hit in left leg by comebacker, exits start

Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Nick Pivetta was hit in the leg by a comebacker to end the third inning and came out of the team’s 9-1 win against the visiting Texas Rangers on Friday.

Pivetta sustained a left calf contusion, according to the team.

The right-hander recovered the ground ball by Leody Taveras and got the final out of the inning before hobbling off. Reliever Tyler Danish took the mound for the bottom of the fourth.

“Yeah, that was pretty frustrating. I felt pretty good tonight,” said Pivetta, who leads the staff with 27 starts, the only member of the rotation who hasn’t missed a start this season.

After the game, though, he wasn’t sure if he would make his next start.

“I take really great pride in that,” Pivetta said. “I look forward to continuing that streak and continuing getting on the mound.”

Danish (3-1) earned the win with a scoreless inning.

Pivetta yielded one run on four hits and two walks over three innings, fanning two batters.

The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.