NEW YORK — Like everyone else, Travis Shaw wondered how Hanley Ramirez would adapt to playing first base. Only he had a much bigger stake in the matter.

As a third baseman, Shaw often has to make throws on the run or from unconventional arm angles. He depends on the first baseman being able to scoop up low throws or come off the bag if necessary.

“Hanley has been great,’’ Shaw said on Sunday before the Red Sox beat the Yankees, 5-1. “He’s made all the plays. The picking has been really good. He made a few plays in this series that were tough ones.’’

Shaw came up as a first baseman and understands that a good first baseman has to earn the confidence of the other infielders.

“The trust is there,’’ he said. “If you make a diving play or don’t have a good grip, you have to be able to let it fly and know he’ll be there. For me, there’s no doubt. I’ll make whatever throw I have to make.

“Hanley’s a natural infielder, and I think he was excited to get back to the infield. He put the work in during spring training, and it has paid off.’’

Ramirez has played 240 innings without an error this season.

Ramirez struck out his first three times up on Sunday. He was then hit on the left forearm by a pitch from Johnny Barbato in the ninth inning.

Ramirez stayed in the game after briefly being attended to. He then stole second (his fourth of the season) and took third on an error by Barbato. Ramirez tried to score on a fly ball by Shaw and was thrown out at the plate.

Shaw also has developed good chemistry on the left side of the infield with shortstop Xander Bogaerts.

“The continuity is there with all of us,’’ Shaw said. “Xander and I are getting to know each other. I know where he’s going to be and have an idea how far he can cover. He has an idea of how far I can go. It has been pretty smooth.

“I played with him in the minors, and his throwing is so much better than it used to be. He’s come a long way defensively, and it’s fun playing with a guy like that.’’

Two in a row?

Clay Buchholz, who starts on Monday night against Sonny Gray and the Oakland Athletics, has a 5.71 earned run average in six starts. But the righthander is coming off a strong performance against the Chicago White Sox last Wednesday.

Buchholz allowed two runs on three hits over seven innings. He walked two and struck out six.

“I would say three of the last four starts have been solid,’’ manager John Farrell said. “Obviously, his best was most recently. I thought the other night there was a sizable step forward in his own conviction to pitch.’’

Buchholz flew back to Boston before Sunday’s game so he could get a full night of sleep.

Rodriguez ready?

Lefthander Eduardo Rodriguez pitched 5? innings for Triple A Pawtucket on Sunday. Facing Rochester, Rodriguez allowed three runs on six hits with one walk and two strikeouts.

Rodriguez allowed home runs by Kennys Vargas and Byron Buxton, two of Minnesota’s top prospects.

Rodriguez dislocated his right kneecap on Feb. 27 and did not appear in a game during spring training.

In three Triple A starts since April 28, Rodriguez has allowed eight earned runs on 17 hits over 15? innings. He has walked four and struck out seven.

On Sunday, Rodriguez’s fastball sat at 91 to 92 miles per hour, and he got 10 outs on ground balls.

“All of my pitches, all of my mechanics, everything feels ready to go,’’ Rodriguez told The Providence Journal.

“By all accounts, he was maybe more trusting of the knee when he was landing and delivering pitches,’’ Farrell said. “There was a slight uptick in some velocity, which you would hope or expect as he gets more innings under his belt.

“We’ll have a chance to meet with him when he comes back into Fenway [on Monday]. At that point we’ll determine when and where his next start will be.’’

Farrell would not say definitively that Rodriguez would make his next start in the majors.

“Wouldn’t rule it out,’’ he said.

The Red Sox opened a spot in their rotation with the demotion of Henry Owens. That turn comes up Tuesday against Oakland. Farrell said “everything points to’’ righthander Sean O’Sullivan starting that game.

O’Sullivan is probably not in the rotation for the long term. The 28-year-old is 10-22 with a 6.07 ERA in 52 major league starts.

Another decision will be needed when Joe Kelly returns from his rehabilitation assignment.

Kelly is scheduled to pitch for Pawtucket on Wednesday with a goal of getting to 80 to 85 pitches. It will be his second minor league game.

Record for Reddick

As Oakland arrives at Fenway Park, Athletics right fielder Josh Reddick has had a hit in eight consecutive at-bats, matching a franchise record.

Reddick was 3 for 3 with a walk against Baltimore on Sunday after going 7 for 9 in a doubleheader on Saturday. The run of hits raised his batting average from .260 to .319.

Reddick, a former Red Sox player, is 4 for 9 in his career against Buchholz.

The major league record for consecutive at-bats with a hit is 12. Johnny Kling of the Cubs set the record in 1902. Detroit’s Walt Dropo tied the mark in 1952.

Streaking on

Jackie Bradley Jr. was 2 for 3 to extend his hit streak to a career-best 14 games. It’s also the longest active streak in the majors. He is 18 of 50 (.360) in the streak with 10 extra-base hits and 11 RBIs. Bradley is hitting .288 with an .861 OPS. That’s second on the team only to David Ortiz’s 1.066 . . . Ortiz has hit 52 home runs against the Yankees, tied with Carl Yastrzemski for fifth-most against New York. Only Jimmie Foxx (70), Ted Williams (62), Manny Ramirez (55), and Hank Greenberg (53) have more . . . Single A Salem center fielder Andrew Benintendi was 0 for 3 in the first game of a doubleheader against Winston-Salem on Saturday. That snapped a 23-game hit streak . . . Center fielder ­Jacoby Ellsbury was out of the Yankees’ lineup for the second straight game. He strained his right hip running the bases in the first inning on Friday.

Peter Abraham can be reached at pabraham@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @PeteAbe.