Between the current state of the Red Sox and the season opener for the Patriots, this may be the least-watched game in recent Red Sox history.
Still, for those interested, we'll keep you up-to-date on what's going down in Fenway Park.
Red Sox 3, Blue Jays 3, End 8th -- The top of the lineup goes 1-2-3 in the eighth. The inning includes a pinch-hitting appearance from Daniel Nava, whose wrist is apparently well enough for him to take some hacks in place of Ryan Kalish--though the AB ends in a ground ball out.
Red Sox 3, Blue Jays 3, Mid 8th -- Buchholz grabs another 1-2-3 frame to make it 12 straight retired. He could well make it through the whole game at this pace.
Red Sox 3, Blue Jays 3, End 7th -- It's not the first 1-2-3 inning of the game for Toronto, but it's the first inning to come without a baserunner, erased later or not, courtesy of Steve Delabar, in for Carlos Villanueva.
Red Sox 3, Blue Jays 3, Mid 7th -- Buchholz is again through seven innings despite a more-unfortunate-than-bad fourth inning. He's retired nine straight, and looks set to pitch into the eighth with a relatively low pitch count.
Red Sox 3, Blue Jays 3, End 6th -- Villanueva leaves a slider very high and right over the plate to Dustin Pedroia, and the second baseman doesn't miss it at all. Launching a high fly ball, Pedroia finds the Monster seats and brings the Sox back to even with the Jays.
Blue Jays 3, Red Sox 2, Mid 6th -- Another 1-2-3 inning for Buchholz keeps the Jays within easy reach--or what would be easy reach were the Red Sox' lineup in a better state.
Blue Jays 3, Red Sox 2, End 5th -- Ryan Kalish' bat has been coming around, and it keeps working as he draws a walk in the fifth. His baserunning has been declining just as quickly, however. After being tagged out at third thanks to a bad baserunning decision in the first, Kalish gets picked off at first by Jeff Mathis this time to waste another opportunity.
Blue Jays 3, Red Sox 2, Mid 5th -- Buchholz recovering with a 1-2-3 fifth is neither unwelcome nor terribly unexpected. Like against Seattle, he's not pitching particularly poorly, he just doesn't have results to show for it.
Blue Jays 3, Red Sox 2, End 4th -- A Mike Aviles double play ensures that Cody Ross' leadoff single will not serve to spark a rally in response to Toronto's, leaving them still trailing after four.
Blue Jays 3, Red Sox 2, Mid 4th -- And Buchholz' nightmare resumes right where it left off last time: a bunch of ground balls finding holes and letting the Blue Jays nickle and dime him to death. It happened in the fourth in Seattle, and it's happened in the fourth today against Toronto. There wasn't a lot behind any of the four hits, but all of them found their way into the outfield, and at the end of it the Jays have three runs on the board to Boston's two.
Red Sox 2, Blue Jays 0, End 3rd -- The Sox respond with a stranded baserunner of their own, as they leave Dustin Pedroia on first after a single.
Red Sox 2, Blue Jays 0, Mid 3rd -- The Blue Jays are looking for all the world like the Red Sox today. One baserunner an inning--this time a Brett Lawrie single with one down--and one wasted baserunner an inning, as Colby Rasmus goes down on a sacrifice bunt and Mike Aviles snags Edwin Encarnacion's bid for a hit in the air to end the inning short.
Red Sox 2, Blue Jays 0, End 2nd -- For just the third time this year, Jacoby Ellsbury connects just right. A changeup floated belt-high over the outside part of the plate from Carlos Villanueva is all-too-easy a target for the outfielder, who launches the ball high and deep to right, depositing it into the bullpen for a home run. With Cody Ross already on base with a walk, it gives Boston an all-too-rare early two-run lead.
Red Sox 0, Blue Jays 0, Mid 2nd -- Another walk from Clay Buchholz is certainly concerning, but it's not damaging, as manages to get the lead runner on a bunt attempt from Anthony Gose, Jeff Mathis strikes out, and Omar Vizquel is good for a flared fly out to left that ends the frame.
Red Sox 0, Blue Jays 0, End 1st -- A bit of awful baserunning from Ryan Kalish costs the Red Sox in the first. After he led off the inning with a single, Kalish was moved to second on a sacrifice bunt from Scott Podsednik. His mistake was not remaining there when Dustin Pedroia grounded out to third. With Kalish off on contact, Brett Lawrie was able to tag him out and fire on to first for the second out, ending the inning with a double play.
Red Sox 0, Blue Jays 0, Mid 1st -- Clay Buchholz needs to do a bit of work to get through the first inning, but he just has to work around a two-out walk to escape without allowing any damage. A solid effort in the first, but as we learned last night, that's not necessarily a guarantee for the rest of the night. Hopefully Clay is different.