After the marathon game on Monday, the Boston Red Sox bullpen was taxed. They would need a Herculean effort from Clay Buchholz on Tuesday night to prevent having to use the bullpen even more.
And with his spot in the rotation secure, Buchholz delivered that big effort and more in the 2-1 win over the Toronto Blue Jays.
Buchholz found himself in a jam in the first but was able to work out of it and only give up one run. After that, he took matters into his own hands, pitching almost flawlessly the rest of the way.
For the first time all season and maybe in a long while, he looked very relaxed on the mound as I guess that comes from having that security of his spot in the rotation. He had excellent command of all of his pitches and worked them all around the strike zone.
The opposing starter in Shaun Marcum was equal to the task as he allowed just one run over seven innings. But for him, his bullpen couldn’t keep the game tied.
Once again we saw something we thought we’d never see happen, David Ortiz being hit for in a crucial situation.
The Red Sox had loaded up the bases on Scott Downs on singles by Dustin Pedroia and Victor Martinez and a walk to J.D. Drew. As he was strolling to home plate, Big Papi was recalled to the dugout with the lefty Downs still on the bump. Terry Francona summoned Mike Lowell and Cito Gaston countered with his closer, righty Kevin Gregg.
While I totally understand the situation, I wasn’t sure about the move. After all, Big Papi was hitting .313 (5-for-16) off Downs with a home run and an RBI. Either way, the move worked out for the Red Sox as Gregg walked Lowell on four pitches to force in the winning run.
It was also nice to Ramon Ramirez put his struggles aside to save the Herculean effort of Buchholz. With basically the entire bullpen not available, Ramirez did the job. Hopefully a good outing like this will put his ship sailing back in the right direction.
The Red Sox, who called up Alan Embree last night, have designated Kevin Frandson for assignment according to Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports via his Twitter page. The move frees up a spot for Embree on the 40-man roster.
We’ll be back later with the lineups, batter/pitcher matchups and afternoon links for now enjoy the overnight links from the local Boston media.
Buchholz gets win — and ‘save’ [Boston Globe]
Plugged back in, crackling good [Boston Globe]
Castro gives way to Embree in bullpen [Boston Globe]
Clay Buchholz two good [Boston Herald]
Sox recap: Clay Buchholz delivers [Boston Herald]
In outfielders’ defense, stat made error [Boston Herald]
David Ortiz on the right track [Boston Herald]
Postgame notes: 117 pitches for Clay [ESPN Boston]
Sox playing it close, but winning [Extra Bases]
Ortiz wants to play ‘two or three more years’ [Full Count]
Closing Time: Red Sox 2, Blue Jays 1 [Full Count]
Drew had another bout with vertigo [Full Count]
Beltre says ‘Thank you’ to Buchholz [Full Count]
Buchholz was Huge [Hit and Run with Dan Roche]
Clay Buchholz Shows His Resilience in Toronto [NESN.com]
Maturing Clay Buchholz Shines on Mound Over Eight Innings [NESN.com]
Top 10 Lessons the Red Sox Can Learn From the Bruins [NESN.com]
Have Red Sox Become Too Businesslike for Their Own Good? [NESN.com]
Embree says he’s satisfied as he gets set to join Boston [Projo Sox Blog]
Report: Red Sox sign Dominican outfielder [Projo Sox Blog]
Buchholz’s gem gives bullpen a breather [Providence Journal]
Delcarmen comes to the fore as pen falters [Providence Journal]
Red Sox Journal: Despite plate success, Varitek won’t DH [Providence Journal]
Cameron, Ellsbury hit off tee [RedSox.com]
Wakefield following normal routine [RedSox.com]
For more slices of Boston Red Sox goodness, head over to the Boston Globe, Boston Herald, ESPN Boston, NESN, Providence Journal and WEEI websites.
And if you must read the enemy papers, head over to The Globe and Mail, Toronto Star and Toronto Sun websites.
