The Sox continued to struggle early in the game offensively against Paul Clemens. Dustin Pedroia lined out to right to begin the top of the first. Xander Bogaerts walked but Mr. Mookie Betts popped up and Hanley Ramirez flied out to center to end the inning. Buchholz got the ball in the bottom of the first and Travis Jankowski flied out. Will Myers flied out but Yangervis Solarte singled. Alex Dickerson doubled to put the pressure on but Clay got Ryan Schimpf to pop up to end the inning.
The Sox tried to rally in the top of the second but holes in their bats appeared again. Sandy Leon grounded out but Jackie Bradley Jr walked. The red hot Chris Young doubled but Yoan Moncada struck out. Buchholz himself struck out to end the inning. Hector Sanchez struck out to lead off the bottom of the second. Oswaldo Arcia grounded out to first and Luis Sardinas flied out to end the inning.
The Sox once again wasted a chance to score in the top of the third. Pedroia singled but Bogaerts flied out. Mr. Mookie singled but Hanley banged into a double play to end the inning. Clemens the pitcher grounded to third to begin the bottom of the third inning. Jankowski grounded out but Myers singled. Solarte singled but Dickerson struck out. Once again two men on but Buchholz pitched out of it, he wasn't doing that earlier this year.
The Sox finally broke through in the top of the fourth. Leon caught the defense asleep with a bunt single down the third base line and JBJ crushed his 23rd home run of the year to make it 2-0 Boston. Young joined the parade with his 8th of the season for back to back jacks to make it 3-0. Moncada whiffed again but Buchholz somehow worked a walk. Pedroia banged into a double play to end the inning, good thing Buchholz didn't trip and fall, but at least he had a 3-0 lead.
As usual when Sox pitchers are handed a lead, they try to piss it away. Buchholz was greeted in the bottom of the fourth with a Schimpf home run to cut the lead 3-1. Sanchez grounded out and Arcia flied out, but Sardinas singled. Clemens popped up to first to end the inning.
The Sox struck again in the top of the fifth. Bogaerts and Mr. Mookie singled and Hanley singled home Bogaerts to make it 4-1. That chased Clemens as Jose Dominguez was brought in to pitch. Leon made a productive out by flying out to right, advancing Betts to third. Young then beat out a double play ball to score Mookie to make it 5-1. Moncada then earned his second straight hat trick with a strikeout to end the inning, yikes.
Buchholz cruised in the bottom of the fifth. Jankowski grounded out, Myers lined out and Solarte whiffed to end the inning. A shut down inning is just what Doc Brown ordered.
The holes in the bats re-appeared in the top of the sixth inning. Buchholz looked at strike 3, Pedroia swung and missed for strike 3 and Bogaerts looked at strike 3 to end the inning. Brutal. Buchholz recovered to stay strong in the bottom of the sixth. Dickerson and Schimpf flied out then Sanchez swung and missed at strike 3 to end the inning. 6 innings of 1 run ball tossed by Clay. 4 months ago this would have been a miracle.
Leonel Campos relieved Dominguez in the top of the seventh inning. Mr Mookie and Hanley grounded out but Leon walked. JBJ struck out to end the inning. Buchholz returned for the bottom of the seventh inning and ran into trouble. Arcia and Sardinas hit back to back singles. John Jay pinch hit for Campos and Buchholz struck him out. He then got Jankowski to strike out and Sox manager John Farrell came out to get him. A tremendous effort by Buchholz left the Sox with only 7 more outs to get. Matt Barnes came in and got one of them when he struck out Myers to end the inning. Way to go Clay.
Keith Hessler relieved Campos for the top of the eighth and struck out Young. Moncada earned a golden sombrero and his 7th straight strikeout overall, time to sit him down. Aaron Hill pinch hit for Barnes and grounded out to end the inning. Fernando Abad came on to pitch the bottom of the eighth inning as Hill took over at third for the likely shaken Moncada. Solarte struck out, Dickerson grounded out and Schimpf flied out. A rare 1-2-3 inning for Abad.
Pedroia led off the top of the ninth with a single in the hole at short. Bogaerts flied out to left, Mr. Mookie lined out to third and Hanley flied out to end the inning. In a second guessed move, Farrell bypassed Brad Ziegler and Craig Kimbrel, who needed work, to use Joe Kelly for a second straight day to close out the game. Sanchez singled and moved to second on the Arcia ground out. Sardinas struck out and pinch hitter Alexi Amarista flied out to end the game. The Sox had won 5-1.
Hero of the night is a tough one but I'll go with Clay Buchholz. Offense is great but without Buchholz' amazing start, it may not have been enough. The spot starter allowed just 1 run in 6 2/3 innings to earn his 6th win of the season. He also worked a walk at the plate.
The Good:
Dustin Pedroia was 2 for 5. Mookie Betts was 2 for 5 with a run scored. Sandy Leon was 1 for 3 with a walk and run scored. Jackie Bradley Jr was 1 for 2 with 2 walks along with 2 rbi's and a run scored off his two run home run. Chris Young was 2 for 4 with an rbi and run scored off his home run. Matt Barnes retired the only man he faced. Fernando Abad pitched a perfect eighth. Joe Kelly worked a scoreless ninth inning.
The Bad:
Yoan Moncada earned a golden sombrero with an 0 for 4 with 4 strikeout performance. He's struck out 7 straight times and the word on the street is he can't hit a curveball. Pedro Cerrano would like this. Aaron Hill pinch hit for Barnes and grounded out.
The Ugly:
Xander Bogaerts was just 1 for 4 but walked and scored a run. Hanley Ramirez was just 1 for 5 but made his lone hit count as it drove in a run.
Final Thoughts
If Clay has turned back to clock to his 2013 form, then the loss of Steven Wright is only an inconvenience, especially with his zero post-season experience. Buchholz is no stranger to the playoffs or in big games, so if he's righted himself, he's a valuable weapon against Toronto, Baltimore and other playoff teams. Of course this could be a fluke but you never know. One of the reasons the Red Sox finished with only 78 wins last year was the loss of not only Koji Uehara (who returns tomorrow) but Hanley Ramirez in September as well. What we're seeing now is the healthy Ramirez not seen since April of last season. He too is someone the Sox are going to need to make an October run. Even though the Padres stink, a road win is a road win and should be enjoyed. The win propels the Sox to 77-61, tied for first place as the Yankees defeated the Toronto Blue Jays earlier. Tomorrow David Price (14-8) looks to take two of three in San Diego against Jarred Cosart.
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