Red Sox Move Out Of Last With Win Over Jays (27-25)

Buchholz allowed just two
runs in eight innings of work

Well, they moved out of sole possession of last as the Red Sox beat the Jays last night and are now tied, with the Jays, for fourth in the AL East at 27-25. The Red Sox got going early and never really stopped, scoring their first run leading off the second by David Ortiz-- who hit a blast to left-center. After two quick outs to start the third inning, Daniel Nava doubled off the wall in right to put the Sox in position for a two-out rally. They would score when Adrian Gonzalez drilled a single through the hole and into left field. The Blue Jays would cut the lead, however, on a two-out home run by Yunel Escobar to make it 2-1. It stayed at 2-1 for a while until the Red Sox loaded the bases with no outs in the sixth. Jarrod Saltalamacchia hit a ground ball to the first baseman that should have been a double play, but a mental mistake by pitcher Henderson Alvarez kept it at a force out. The Red Sox scored a run on the play but could not capitalize on the Jays' mistake when Will Middlebrooks grounded into a double play.

Ortiz went 2-3 with a home run and
Nava went 4-5 with 3 runs

The Red Sox would really break out in the seventh inning, after a leadoff double by Ryan Sweeney. The next two batters got out so Sweeney was on third with two away. Scott Podsednik hit a little dribbler over the mound to score a run, beating it out for an RBI infield single to make it 4-1. Daniel Nava drove Podsednik in with a double into the gap in right-center. Nava came in on a single by Adrian Gonzalez to make it 6-1 Red Sox. Gonzalez also came in on an RBI single by David Ortiz, however, Ortiz was a bit far off the bag and was caught so the four-run inning was over. The Jays would "answer" with a solo home run by David Cooper in the seventh but the Red Sox would win 7-2.

Bright Spots:
Clay Buchholz- 8 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 7 K, W (5-2)
Scott Atchison- 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 K
Scott Podsednik- 1-5, 1 R, 1 RBI
Daniel Nava- 4-5, 3 R, 3 2B, 1 RBI
Adrian Gonzalez- 3-5, 1 R, 1 2B, 3 RBI
David Ortiz- 2-3, 1 R, 1 HR, 2 RBI
Ryan Sweeney- 2-4, 1 R

Dull Spots:
Jarrod Saltalamacchia- 0-4, 1 RBI, 2 LOB

Player of the Game:
Clay Buchholz- Even when the Red Sox weren't scoring runs (which was much of the game), Buchholz kept the Sox in the game with a great outing-- he is now 5-2/6.58/40.