The Sox can only hope to dodge the sweep tonight as Clay Buchholz takes on Chris Tillman in the last game of a three-game set. We'll keep you up-to-date with all the action as it goes down in Camden Yards.
Red Sox 6, Orioles 3, Mid 8th -- Steve Johnson picks up a pair of strikeouts in the eighth, leaving the Red Sox stuck with just the three run lead. Chances are that's what they'll need to hold, but the way Buchholz is going right now, that may not be an issue.
Red Sox 6, Orioles 3, End 7th -- From a bad beginning, Clay Buchholz has really pulled this game back. Buchholz does give up a one-out walk, but picks up a strike out and pop-up to send things to the eighth, where he could certainly continue to pitch.
Red Sox 6, Orioles 3, Mid 7th -- The Sox don't make any history in the seventh, putting just one man on as Jarrod Saltalamacchia led off the inning with a single before being stranded by the bottom of the order.
Red Sox 6, Orioles 3, End 6th -- It's going unnoticed by the broadcast, but Clay Buchholz just made history.
Coming up against Adam Jones, Buchholz dotted the outside corner with a curveball, got Jones to swing at another, and then planted a cutter in the zone for a strikeout.
Next up was Matt Wieters. Foul ball, swing through a cutter, take a fastball for strike three.
Finally, Chris Davis: foul, foul, whiffs on a changeup.
Clay Buchholz threw nine pitches and recorded three strikeouts. This was the 47th time such a feat has been accomplished in the history of the MLB. That makes it about five times as rare as a no-hitter in the modern era alone.
It won't get the same press as Felix Hernandez' perfect game, or even Buchholz' no-hitter in this very park five years ago, but it's very much a historic achievement.
Red Sox 6, Orioles 3, Mid 6th -- With Chris Tillman out of the ball game, the Sox go to work in earnest. A one-out double from Scott Podsednik makes for another rally started by the bottom of the order, and with Jacoby Ellsbury walking behind him the Sox have two on for Carl Crawford. While the left fielder can't come through with his third hit of the night, he does beat out a double play ball, keeping the inning alive and runners on the corners for Dustin Pedroia.
Unfortunately, the second baseman isn't able to get the ball out of the infield either. Luckily for him, Manny Machado was playing deep and came up empty trying to scoop the ball out of the grass, letting Pedroia reach first and a run come in. Adrian Gonzalez and Cody Ross quickly follow up with line drives to left and right field respectively, and while Adrian Gonzalez is thrown out trying to take this on the last hit, it's only because the cutoff man chose to cut him down at third rather than risk a play at the plate, allowing Pedroia to score ahead of him to make it 6-3, Red Sox.
Red Sox 3, Orioles 3, End 5th -- A two-out walk to J.J. Hardy keeps Buchholz from having his first 1-2-3 frame of the night, but it's still a good enough frame to hold the tie the offense finally worked its way into.
Red Sox 3, Orioles 3, Mid 5th -- The top of the order are the guys to start the rally in the fifth, and this time it earns them a tie in fairly quick fashion. Carl Crawford got things rolling with a single up the middle--his second hit of the game, bringing his average back up to .294--and Dustin Pedroia quickly moved him to third with a double into center field. A wild pitch would advance both runners, bringing Crawford home, but Adrian Gonzalez could only manage a medium-distance fly ball. Pedroia, however, decided to test the strong arm of Adam Jones, tagging up and breaking for home. Jones' throw was strong, but it wasn't quite on target, pulling Matt Wieters just wide enough to allow Pedroia to slide around the tag and tie the game.
Orioles 3, Red Sox 1, End 4th -- Clay Buchholz benefits from yet another double play after Mark Reynolds grabs a base hit off the unusually vulnerable righty.
Orioles 3, Red Sox 1, Mid 4th -- The bottom of the lineup once again starts a rally, but this time the Sox don't get the one big hit they need, with Scott Podsednik striking out on a 3-2 fastball down the middle, stranding two men on base.
Orioles 3, Red Sox 1, End 3rd -- Clay Buchholz also gets his first 1-2-3 inning, but only with the help of a double play ball after hitting Adam Jones with one out.
Orioles 3, Red Sox 1, Mid 3rd -- Three fly balls get Chris Tillman through the third in short order--his first 1-2-3 inning of the night.
Orioles 3, Red Sox 1, End 2nd -- And after all Boston's hard work in the top of the second, Clay gives the run back on the first pitch of the bottom of the second, surrendering a high fly ball that just keeps going until it reaches the center field stands. The Sox are given two quick outs after a double and walk when Nick Markakis' bunt dies right in front of home plate, letting Saltalamacchia fire to third to start a double play, but still need a strong throw from right on a base hit to catch Omar Quintanilla for the final out.
Orioles 2, Red Sox 1, Mid 2nd -- The Red Sox claw a run back with a two-out rally in the second featuring names no less luminous than Punto, Ciriaco, and Podsednik. The first draws a walk, moved to second on a wild pitch, took third on an infield single from the second, and then finally scored when Tillman left a changeup high to the last man, who sent it into the outfield for the RBI.
Orioles 2, Red Sox 0, End 1st -- Hey, Sox fans, y'know that one nice thing we've been allowed to hold on to? Namely: Clay Buchholz and his starts the last few months? Well, we can't have that either, turns out. After a line drive single on the first pitch of his outing, Buchholz sees two straight ground balls get past Adrian Gonzalez, with the second hugging the right field line and going for a two-run double. Buchholz manages to battle back with a couple of ground ball outs and a strikeout, but it's not the start the Sox were hoping for.
Red Sox 0, Orioles 0, Mid 1st -- Carl Crawford continues to look shockingly similar to a real baseball player, getting ahead of Chris Tillman 3-0 and then punishing him by slapping a line drive double into right field. Dustin Pedroia seems ready to bring him in when Tillman offers up a hanging curveball, but the resulting line drive stays up in the air just long enough for Nate McLouth to get under it in left. Adrian Gonzalez goes chasing after a 3-2 curveball in the dirt, and just like that, the inning's over.