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Steven Wright had knuckleball really moving — just ask Ryan Hanigan

Red Sox knuckleballer Steven Wright had to do the dancing when a piece of a broken bat sailed in his direction in the second inning. Jim Davis/Globe Staff

At its best, the knuckleball is an utterly disorienting pitch, its multidirectional journey rendering it nearly impossible to hit even when flying across the middle of the strike zone. Cruelly, its effectiveness can be measured sometimes not merely by what it does to opposing batters but also the bewilderment of the teammates tasked with trying to catch it.

On Wednesday in the Red Sox’ 10-3 win over the Rockies, both barometers indicated the ongoing dominance of Steven Wright’s craft. Wright (4-4) logged seven innings in which he allowed three runs (two earned) on seven hits — all singles — and two walks with seven strikeouts.

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Yet he had to work through the fact that his signature pitch juked so unpredictably it eluded catcher Ryan Hanigan seven times — four on passed balls, three on wild pitches — before the catcher left the game because of an illness after four innings.

“The ball was darting in both directions. There’s no consistency to it in terms of to be able to anticipate the direction it’s going to be able to move,” said Red Sox manager John Farrell. “It’s almost like [Hanigan] is defending himself in a way trying to receive it.”

Wright suggested that he lost his release point through the early stages of the game, resulting in a combination of uncertain pitch movement and pitch location in a fashion that made for a challenging night for both Hanigan and the Rockies.

“Sometimes it can be too good if it’s moving like that,” Wright said. “[Hanigan’s] done a great job all year. I think today, it was just a matter of being a little inconsistent with the release point to the point where the starting point was a little different each time. That’s also the nature of the pitch. You’re going to have days where it’s moving like that and you’re going to have a tough time controlling it. I had a tough time controlling it. If I’m having a tough time repeating it on the mound, it’s going to be really hard for Hanigan to catch it.”

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Ryan Hanigan had his hands full with Steven Wright's knuckleball Wednesday.Jim Davis/Globe Staff/Globe Staff

Still, as has been the case frequently when Wright has struggled within his starts, he found a way to correct course. Through four innings, he slogged through 73 pitches during which the Rockies took a 2-0 lead, one of the runs unearned due to a pair of passed balls and a wild pitch in the fourth.

But after the Sox broke through for four runs in the bottom of the fourth, Wright found the form that has made him one of the most consistently effective starters in the American League this season. He started throwing a slower knuckleball to work his way back into the strike zone (“The slower it is, it’s a little bit easier for me to get it over the plate,” he said), then flew through the next three innings in just 27 pitches before Nolan Arenado’s single to open the eighth concluded the knuckleballer’s night.

Wright’s final line offered further evidence that, while the movement of his pitch is unpredictable, his ability to achieve consistent and sustainable success with it is not. The markers are far-reaching.

His 2.52 ERA is tied for the sixth-lowest in the American League. He’s submitted quality starts (6 or more innings, 3 or fewer earned runs) in eight of nine outings this year, an 89 percent rate that ranks as the second best in the AL. Often, he’s not merely cleared but flown over that bar, as he’s tied for the AL lead with seven outings of at least six innings and two or fewer earned runs.

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The consistent movement of Wright’s pitches has resulted in regular swings-and-misses or mis-hits, even when hitters know his offerings are likely to be over the plate. Entering the night, 23 percent of swings at his pitches in the strike zone resulted in a swing-and-miss, the second-highest rate in the majors.

He’s struck out six or more batters seven times, tied for third in the AL. After an outing in which he didn’t permit a single extra-base hit, opponents now have a .290 slugging percentage against him, third lowest against any AL starter.

The overall results speak to one of the best and most consistent starters in the AL through nearly a third of a season.

“He’s been great. That thing is dancing everywhere,” said second baseman Dustin Pedroia. “Every time he goes out, that thing is tough to hit, and he’s pounding the strike zone. It’s been great.”

Photos: Red Sox vs. the Rockies