Buchholz took the mound in the top of the first and got Brett Gardner to pop up to open the game. Jacoby Ellsbury walked but Gary Sanchez grounded into a double play to end the inning. The Sox wasted no time scoring off rookie starter Luis Cessa but ran themselves into outs. Dustin Pedroia singled but was thrown out trying to stretch it into a double. Xander Bogaerts was hit with a pitch and took second on a wild pitch. David Ortiz then singled home Bogaerts but was also thrown out at second trying to stretch. Mr. Mookie Betts reached on an infield single but was thrown out at second trying to steal. Cessa gets out of the first without actually retiring anyone....but wait! Sox manager John Farrell asked for a replay and sure enough, Betts was safe. Hanley Ramirez, last night's hero, made the Yankees pay by singling home Betts to make it 2-0. Ramirez wisely did not try to stretch into a double. Shaw grounded out to end the inning but the Sox had the lead.
Clay ran into trouble in the top of the second inning. Starling Castro popped up but Didi Gregorious singled and Chase Headley doubled him to third. Brian McCann flied out and Didi chose not to test Jackie Bradley Jr's arm. Mark Teixeira flied out to end the inning, bullet dodged. Cessa recovered in the bottom of the second. Chris Young flied out, Sandy Leon and JBJ both grounded out to end the inning.
Mason Williams singled to lead off the top of the third and Gardner walked, but Ellsbury lined out and Sanchez grounded into another double play to end the inning. Cessa cruised in the bottom of the third. Pedroia flied out, Bogaerts grounded out and Ortiz struck out in short order.
Buchholz didn't cruise in the top of the fourth but he got the job done. Castro struck out and Gregorius flied out, but Headley was hit with a pitch. McCann flied out to end the inning. The Sox struck again in the bottom of the fourth. Mr. Mookie grounded out but Ramirez blasted a solo shot to make it 3-0. Shaw hit a ground rule double but Young flied out and Leon flied out as well to end the inning.
The Yankees struck back in the top of the fifth. Teixeira and Williams hit back to back singles but Gardner struck out. Ellsbury flied out but Sanchez doubled home both runners to cut the lead 3-2. Castro grounded out to end the inning, but the Sox still led. Cessa cruised in the bottom of the fifth. JBJ flied out to right, Pedroia grounded out and Bogaerts popped up to end the inning.
Buchholz returned for the top of the sixth and got Gregorius popped up second. Headley grounded out to second but McCann doubled. With the tying run at second, Buchholz got Teixeira to pop up to end the inning. The Sox got to the Yankees bullpen in the bottom of the sixth. James Pazos was brought in to pitch to Ortiz and David doubled. Jonathan Holder replaced Pazos and Mr Mookie singled David to third, then Ramirez walked to load the bases. 2 pitchers, no outs recorded. Holder finally got an out when Shaw hit a sac fly to score Ortiz to make it 4-2. Young whiffed but Leon hit a ground rule double to make it 5-2. Chase Shreve replaced Holder and Ramirez foolishly tried to steal home on a ball that bounced in front of the catcher. Still, the Sox had a 5-2 lead.
It was time for the bullpen as Robbie Ross Jr was first out of the gate in the top of the seventh. Williams struck out but Gardner doubled. Ellsbury grounded out and that was it for Ross, Sox manager John Farrell pulled him for the righty Brad Ziegler. Brad punched out Sanchez to end the inning. The Sox iced the game in the bottom of the seventh. JBJ smashed a solo home run, number 25 of the year, to increase the lead 6-2. Kirby Yates relieved Shreve and Pedroia singled. Bogaerts doubled Dustin to third and Ortiz was intentionally walked. Mr. Mookie grounded into a double play...but the 7th run scored anyway. Ramirez flied out to end the inning.
Koji Uehara had the top of the 8th and he struck out Castro to end it. Gregorius grounded out and Headley flied out to end the inning. Ben Heller took over on the mound for the Yankees in the bottom of the eighth. Shaw flied out, Young grounded out and Leon lined out to end the inning.
Fernando Abad was asked to get the final 3 outs. McCann popped up but Teixeira walked. The right handed Butler then smashed a 2 run bomb almost out of Fenway to cut the lead 7-4. Gardner was plunked and that was it for Abad. Once again Farrell threw Abad out against a righty and he torched him. Craig Kimbrel was brought in to nail down the save. Kimbrel struck out both Ellsbury and Sanchez to end the game. The Sox had won 7-4.
Hero of the Night is the surprising Clay Buchholz. He earned his 7th win of the season by tossing 6 innings of 2 run ball, allowing 7 hits and 2 walks while striking out 2.
The Good:
Dustin Pedroia was 2 for 4 with a run scored. Xander Bogaerts was 1 for 3 with a run scored. David Ortiz was 2 for 3 with a walk, run scored and an rbi. Mookie Betts was 2 for 4 with 2 runs scored and a stolen base. Hanley Ramirez continued his hot streak by going 2 for 3 with a walk, run scored and 2 rbis along with his 26th home run of the season. Travis Shaw was 1 for 3 with an rbi. Jackie Bradley Jr was 1 for 3 with a run scored and rbi off of his 25th home run of the season. Robbie Ross Jr retired 2 of the 3 men he faced. Brad Ziegler got the final out of the 7th inning. Koji Uehara pitched a scoreless 8th inning. Craig Kimbrel earned his 26th save by closing out the ninth inning.
The Bad:'
Chris Young was 0 for 4 with a strikeout. Sox manager John Farrell continued to throw out Fernando Abad against righties and Billy Butler took him deep for a 2 run home run.
The Ugly:
Sandy Leon was just 1 for 4 but drove in a run.
Final Thoughts:
Usually a hangover game means not many runs are scored, but this one the Sox were ready for. They beat the Yankees into submission and are in command of the AL East. Buchholz is unpredictable so its a lost cause to try and figure him out. Ramirez and Pedroia continue to anchor the offense with Ortiz coming up with big hits as well. If they can continue the momentum in September, October baseball is assured. The Baltimore Orioles and Toronto Blue Jays both won so the win keeps the Sox 2 games in front of them for the AL East lead. Their record improves to 83-64 with David Price (16-8) matched up against rookie Adam Mitchell at 1:05 PM. Fox Saturday Baseball here we come!
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