SB Nation Boston - Buchholz Struggles In Return, Red Sox Fall To A's In Rubber Game, 6-4https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/48863/boston-fave.png2010-07-21T19:23:11-04:00http://boston.sbnation.com/rss/stream/13443532010-07-21T19:23:11-04:002010-07-21T19:23:11-04:00Buchholz Struggles In Return, Red Sox Drop Second Of Three Games In Oakland
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<p>Oakland, CA (<a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/events/53287/recap/109658">Sports Network</a>) - <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../../mlb/players/19/Jack_Cust">Jack Cust</a> finished 2-for-3 with a two-run homer and scored twice as Oakland took down Boston, 6-4, in the rubber match of a three-game set.</p>
<p><a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../../mlb/players/359/Rajai_Davis">Rajai Davis</a> added two RBI and <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../../mlb/players/31827/Matt_Watson">Matt Watson</a> slugged his first career home run for the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../../mlb/teams/OAK">Athletics</a>, who have won seven of their last eight.</p>
<p><a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../../mlb/players/31716/Gio_Gonzalez">Gio Gonzalez</a> (9-6) worked six innings for the win, allowing seven hits and four runs with three strikeouts and a pair of walks. <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../../mlb/players/798/Michael_Wuertz">Michael Wuertz</a> turned in a scoreless ninth for his second save.</p>
<p><a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../../mlb/players/854/Adrian_Beltre">Adrian Beltre</a> went 3-for-4 with a two-run homer and drove in three for the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../../mlb/teams/BOS">Red Sox</a>, who stumbled to their fifth loss in seven contests.</p>
<p>Activated from the 15-day disabled list prior to the game after recovering from a strained left hamstring, <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../../mlb/players/4417/Clay_Buchholz">Clay Buchholz</a> (10-5) was shelled in defeat for six hits and five runs, fanning two with three walks over four-plus frames.</p>
<p>Jed Lowrie's one-out run-scoring hit in the fifth got the Sox within a run, but the A's chased Buchholz in the home half, scoring three times to take a 6-2 advantage.</p>
<p><a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../../mlb/players/27/Kurt_Suzuki">Kurt Suzuki</a> and Cust stroked back-to-back hits before <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../../mlb/players/1095/Scott_Atchison">Scott Atchison</a> took the hill. He allowed a one-out RBI single from <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../../mlb/players/18/Mark_Ellis">Mark Ellis</a>, then after a passed ball moved both runners into scoring position, Davis stroked a two-run hit to center before being caught in a rundown between first and second.</p>
<p>Beltre's two-run homer to right-center in the sixth made it 6-4, but Boston couldn't score with two on in the seventh. Neither could the A's extend their advantage, as Davis flied out with the bases loaded in the home half.</p>
<p>Oakland's <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../../mlb/players/180/Coco_Crisp">Coco Crisp</a> hit a one-out triple in the eighth but was erased at home trying to score on a fly to left from <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../../mlb/players/33449/Cliff_Pennington">Cliff Pennington</a>.</p>
<p>The failed attempt at an insurance run wasn't costly, though, as Wuertz set down the side in order in the ninth to lock up the victory.</p>
<p>Boston picked up a run in the first after a Beltre RBI single, then Watson knotted the score in the second with a one-out solo shot.</p>
<p>In the home third, <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../../mlb/players/21275/Daric_Barton">Daric Barton</a> reached on a leadoff infield single and scored on Cust's two-run blast two batters later.</p>
<p>Watson had played in 36 previous MLB games with the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../../mlb/teams/NYM">Mets</a> (2003) and A's (2005; 2010) and went 75 career at-bats before going deep...The Sox head to Seattle for four games starting Thursday, continuing their 10-day, 10-game western road swing...Oakland improved to 22-10 this season in day games...The A's host the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../../mlb/teams/CWS">White Sox</a> for three starting Friday...Boston also activated Lowrie off the 60-day disabled list, designated infielder <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../../mlb/players/569/Ryan_Shealy">Ryan Shealy</a> for assignment, while optioning pitchers Dustin Richardson and Fernando Cabrera to Triple-A Pawtucket.</p>
https://boston.sbnation.com/2010/7/21/1581248/clay-buchholz-red-sox-a-sscore-recap-mlb-july-21Ryan Hudson2010-07-21T11:22:24-04:002010-07-21T11:22:24-04:00Red Sox Send Buchholz To The Mound For Rubber Match With A's
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<p>(<a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/events/53287/preview/109604">Sports Network</a>) - Injuries to a number of key performers have caused the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../mlb/teams/BOS">Boston Red Sox</a> to lose ground in the American League playoff race. They'll get one of those players back this afternoon, however, with standout pitcher <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../mlb/players/4417/Clay_Buchholz">Clay Buchholz</a> set to toe the rubber in today's finale of a three-game road series with the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../mlb/teams/OAK">Oakland Athletics</a>.</p>
<p>Buchholz stood among the league leaders in wins when he was forced to exit a June 26 game at San Francisco after just one inning due to a strained left hamstring. The injury also forced the first-time All-Star to miss last week's Midsummer Classic, where he had earned a spot on the AL roster after amassing a 10-4 record in 15 starts along with a 2.45 earned run average that's tops in the Junior Circuit at the moment.</p>
<p>The right-hander enters today's matchup having won seven of his past eight decisions and prepped for this assignment with a 3 2/3-inning rehab start for Triple-A Pawtucket on Friday. Buchholz threw 60 pitches and was reached for a pair of runs on four hits in that game.</p>
<p>The 25-year-old will be making his second career start against Oakland this afternoon and looks to build upon a sensational 5-1 record and 1.70 ERA on the road this year. Buchholz got a no-decision in a Fenway Park clash with the A's last season after letting up a pair of runs in 5 2/3 innings of work.</p>
<p>He'll be getting the call today for a Boston squad that's dropped nine of its last 13 tests following last night's extra-inning setback to the A's. Oakland came through with a 5-4 victory on <span>Kevin Kouzmanoff</span>'s RBI single with two out in the bottom of the 10th inning.</p>
<p>Both Kouzmanoff and <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../mlb/players/19/Jack_Cust">Jack Cust</a> drove in two runs to help Oakland avenge a 2-1 defeat in Monday's series opener and record its sixth win in seven games. <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../mlb/players/21275/Daric_Barton">Daric Barton</a> collected a pair of hits and scored the deciding run shortly after singling off Boston reliever <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../mlb/players/556/Ramon_Ramirez">Ramon Ramirez</a> (0-3) with one out in the 10th.</p>
<p>"Anytime you can win an extra-inning game it's nice, but when it's against a team like the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/teams/BOS">Red Sox</a>, it's nicer because of how good they are," <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/teams/OAK">Athletics</a> catcher <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../mlb/players/27/Kurt_Suzuki">Kurt Suzuki</a> remarked afterward.</p>
<p><a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../mlb/players/68721/Andrew_Bailey">Andrew Bailey</a> (1-3) did his part as well for Oakland, with the All-Star closer tossing two scoreless innings to pick up the win.</p>
<p><a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../mlb/players/61/Marco_Scutaro">Marco Scutaro</a> finished 2-for-5 with an RBI and two runs scored in Boston's latest loss. The Red Sox enter this evening's play six games behind the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../mlb/teams/NYY">New York Yankees</a> for first place in the AL East and 3 1/2 behind Tampa Bay for the lead in the league's Wild Card race.</p>
<p><a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../mlb/players/31716/Gio_Gonzalez">Gio Gonzalez</a> will attempt to pitch Oakland to a series win, as well as duplicate an excellent performance in his latest start, when he takes the mound for the home team this afternoon. The young left-hander got his second half off to a terrific beginning when he limited Kansas City to one run over seven innings in a 5-1 Athletics' win this past Friday. More importantly, he walked only one batter for the game after issuing four or more free passes in each of his three prior appearances.</p>
<p>Gonzalez improved to 8-6 and lowered his season ERA to a respectable 3.63 ERA with Friday's verdict, and he's been tough on the Coliseum mound as well. In nine home starts thus far in 2010, the 24-year-old has generated a 4-3 record along with a 2.98 ERA.</p>
<p>The former supplemental first-round draft choice has received a pair of no- decisions in two lifetime starts against the Red Sox, including a June 1 affair in Boston in which he was touched for three runs in five innings.</p>
<p>The Red Sox won two of three games from the A's in a series held at Fenway Park earlier this season, but have lost in six of their past eight visits to the Oakland Coliseum.</p>
https://boston.sbnation.com/2010/7/21/2318167/red-sox-send-buchholz-to-the-mound-for-rubber-match-with-asBenjamin Buchanan