As for the game, Joe Dimaggio gets the last laugh. Jackie Bradley Jr's incredible 29 game hitting streak was stopped and the Colorado Rockies smacked around the incompetent Clay Buchholz (2-5, 6.35 ERA), beating the Boston Red Sox 8-2 at Fenway Park.
Buchholz somehow got the ball in the top of the first without allowing a run. Charlie Blackmon flied out, Ryan LaMahieu popped up and Nolan Arenado flied out. The Sox wasted no time scoring in the bottom of the first inning. Jon Gray got Jackie Bradley Jr and Dustin Pedroia to fly out, but Xander Bogaerts extended his hitting streak to 19 games with a single. David Ortiz then blasted his 12th home run of the year to give the Sox an early 2-0 lead. Sadly that was the last run scored by the Sox today. Hanley Ramirez grounded to third to end the inning.
Buchholz maintained the lead in a miracle top of the second. Carlos Gonzalez grounded out, Mark Reynolds whiffed and Geraldo Parra flied out to end the inning. Gray settled down in the bottom of the second. Travis Shaw popped up, Chris Young struck out and Blake Swihart lined out to end the inning.
Buchholz once again defied the odds in the top of the third. Trevor Story flied out, Daniel Decalso lined out and Dustin Garneau grounded out to end the inning. The Sox failed to score in the bottom of the third when Christian Vazquez flied out and JBJ grounded out. Pedroia worked a walk but Bogaerts grounded out to end the inning.
The Rockies struck back in the top of the fourth. Blackmon singled and advanced to second on the force by LeMahieu. Arenado struck out but Gonzalez swatted a 2 run bomb to tie the game. Reynolds grounded out but that was the start. Ortiz did what he could to keep the Sox in front by hitting a leadoff double in the bottom of the fourth. Ramirez failed to move him over with a short fly ball to right. Shaw hit a fly ball far enough for Ortiz to move to third and Young worked a walk. With the go-ahead run at third, Swihart struck out to end the inning.
Buchholz completely imploded in the top of the fifth. Parra singled and Story homered just like that to make it 4-2 Colorado. Decalso reached on an infield single and Garneau hit a 2 run bomb to make it 6-2 in the blink of an eye. Blackmon and LeMahieu grounded out and Arenado flied out but that was it. The boo birds rained down on Clay as he left the game.
Could the Sox rally in the bottom of the fifth? NO! Vazquez tried to start one with a single but JBJ flied out. Pedroia singled but was foolishly thrown out trying to stretch into a double. Bogaerts whiffed to end the inning.
Buchholz returned for the top of the sixth but was quickly chased when Gonzalez singled. 5 innings and 6 runs allowed, nice going Clay. Heath Hembree was brought in and got Reynolds to pop up. Parra flied out and Story struck out to end the inning. Gray continued to dominate in the bottom of the sixth. Ortiz popped up, Ramirez struck out and Shaw grounded out to end the inning.
The Sox defense let them down in the top of the seventh. Decalso reached on an infield single but Garneau struck out. Blackmon singled and Shaw chucked a potential double play ball away, loading the bases. Arenado hit a sac fly to make it 7-2. Gonzalez grounded out but the game was out of reach. Gray finished the bottom of the seventh with a flurry. Young flied out then both Swihart and Vazquez struck out to end the inning.
Hembree returned for the top of the eighth. Reynolds grounded out but Parra doubled. Story then lined one to Bogaerts who doubled Parra off at second to end the inning. Gray returned for the bottom of the eighth and got JBJ to ground out. Pedroia walked and that was it for Gray. 7 1/3 innings giving up only the mistake to Ortiz. Have to tip your cap to that. Carlos Estevez came in and got Bogaerts to fly out. Ortiz popped up to end the inning.
Tommy Layne took over for the top of the ninth. Decalso struck out but Garneau doubled. Blackmon flied out but a wild pitch moved Garneau to third. LeMahieu singled home Garneau to wrap up the scoring 8-2. Arenado struck out to end the inning. Ramirez flied out to begin the bottom of the ninth. That was it for Estevez as Jake McGee came in to close it out. Shaw struck out but Young doubled. Swihart walked and Mr. Mookie Betts pinch hit for Vazquez.... to ground out to end the game. The Rockies had averted a sweep with an 8-2 win.
Jackass of the night is easy: Clay Buchholz. He got lit up for 6 runs in 5 innings while allowing THREE two run home runs.
The Good:
Dustin Pedroia was 1 for 2 with 2 walks. David Ortiz was 2 for 4 with a run scored and 2 rbi's off a two run home run, his 12th of the year. Chris Young was 1 for 3 with a walk. Christian Vazquez was 1 for 3.
The Bad:
Jackie Bradley Jr's 29 game hit streak ended as he went 0 for 4. Hanley Ramirez and Travis Shaw were both 0 for 4 with a strikeout. Mookie Betts was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter. Tommy Layne gave up a run in the top of the ninth.
The Ugly:
Xander Bogaerts extended his own hitting streak to 19 games but was just 1 for 4 with a run scored. Blake Swihart was 0 for 3 but walked. Heath Hembree kept the Sox in the game with 3 innings of relief but allowed an unearned run.
Final Thoughts:
That sucked but what can you do with Buchholz on the mound? Sox fans are wondering when and if he will be DFA'd and it looks like the Sox are waiting on the return of Eduardo Rodriguez for that to happen. Eduardo is one step away, pitching for Pawtucket on a rehab assignment. He can't come fast enough because everyone's sick of Buchholz. Its a shame Bradley's streak ended by 29 games is nothing to sneeze at. The loss dropped the Red Sox to 29-18, 2 games in front of Baltimore for the AL East lead. Tomorrow night the Red Sox head to Toronto where Joe Kelly (2-0) looks to win his 3rd game of the year.
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