Pre-game Notes: The Red Sox finally cut ties with Julio Lugo today, designating him for assignment. The Red Sox will have 10 days to either trade, release or send him down to the minor leagues. Lugo signed a 4 year, $36 million dollar contract during the 2007 off season. Needless to say, it was not one of Theo Epstein's most savy baseball moves in his tenure as Red Sox GM.
Game Recap:
The Red Sox started the second half of their season with a bang - literally. After a leadoff full count walk to Drew, Youkilis belted a 1-0 belthigh fastball over the bullpens in left field to give the Red Sox a 2-0 lead.
Clay Buchholz, making his first major league start since August 20th, 2008, showed excellent command of his fastball early getting ahead of the Blue Jays' hitters and finishing them off with changeups. Buchholz mixed in the occasional curve ball, but the fastball-changeup combination proved to be lethal on the night.
Buchholz was helped out by some sharp defense in the third inning after a one out walk to Scutaro, as Pedrioa turned a one hop smash to second into an inning ending double play.
Toronto had a rally going in the 4th inning as Lind hit a 2-2 Buchholz changeup off the leftcenter field wall. A poor baserunning mistake by Lind ensued, as he was thrown out at third for a key fielder's choice. This proved to be key in limiting the Jays' rally as they only scored one run in the inning.
On the other side, Ricky Romero began to settle into a groove. Romero, like his counterpart Buchholz, showed a live fastball and devastating changeup, totalling 7 strikeouts through the first 3 inning (including striking out the side in the 2nd and 3rd innings). But in the 5th inning, after Pedrioa worked a walk after a 13 pitch at bat, that seemed to take something out of Romero. He proceeded to walk Youkilis and Ortiz followed with a 2 out, 2 run double off the left center field wall to knock Romero out of the game.
Perhaps the key at bat of the game came in the bottom of the 6th when the flame throwing Daniel Bard was called into the game to pickup Buchholz, who left two men on with 2 outs. Facing the light hitting Batista, Bard did what he does best, blowing a 99 mph fastball by him to end the threat.
The Red Sox bullpen, as it has for much of the year, shut the door on the opposition for the final 3 and a third innings. Clay Buchholz picks up his 6th career win. Papelbon retired the side in order in the 9th for his 24th save of the season.
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