Who Needs Timely Hits? Not The Red Sox In Another Frustrating Loss, 2-1 to Blue Jays

For most of the season, the Red Sox' patchwork lineup has been better than the sum of its not that impressive parts. However, that wasn't the case tonight in Toronto (56-65 overall, 31-32 home) as Boston (72-51 overall, 33-30 away) fell 2-1 to the Blue Jays at Rogers Centre. The Red Sox lost the series (2-1) and as a result went 4-6 on this bumpy road trip through Houston, Kansas City and ending in Toronto. They head back to Fenway for the weekend before going away for six more games.

You might never see another game where a team has 11 hits and three walks yet they only score one run. Boston went 2 for 11 with runners in scoring position and they left an alarming 12 men on base. Dustin Pedroia was 3 for 5, Daniel Nava was 3 for 4 with two doubles and a run while Ryan Lavarnway went 2 for 4. Nobody on the Red Sox could get a key hit when it mattered though and Blue Jays closer Casey Janssen pitched a 1-2-3 ninth for his 22nd save of the season.

For the second time in three starts, Jake Peavy (9-5) pitched very well for Boston: 6+ innings, 2 earned runs, 5 hits, 4 strikeouts and 0 walks. On the other side, Mark Buehrle (9-7) wasn't fooling anyone but he kept getting out of trouble. In seven innings, he allowed 10 hits but only one earned run with four strikeouts and two walks.

Darren Oliver allowed a two-out double to Nava in the eighth then he walked Will Middlebrooks (not an easy thing to do) but he recovered by striking out Ellsbury to end Boston's last great threat.

Ellsbury drove in the only run for the Red Sox, a fielder's choice in the fourth inning, but even that illustrated their struggles all night: it happened with one out and runners on first and third.

Brett Lawrie tied it for Toronto in the seventh with an RBI single and Mark DeRosa's sacrifice fly turned out to be the difference. Boston was 9-5 vs. Toronto after Tuesday's 11-inning win but following back-to-back crushing losses, they settled for 9-7 vs. Blue Jays with three left at Fenway September 20-22.

With Boston's loss and Tampa Bay's win, the Rays pulled to within two games in the AL East. More troubling is the fact that they are now tied in the loss column so the Red Sox have played four more games than never-say-die Tampa Bay.

Alex Rodriguez's Circus featuring the Yankees (62-58 overall, 4th in AL East) pays a visit to Fenway for three games beginning with tomorrow night's matchup of Felix Doubront (8-5) vs. Andy Pettitte (7-9). The rivalry isn't what it once was but don't tell that to the network executives since they gave it the usual primetime treatment: John Lackey (7-10) faces Hiroki Kuroda (11-7) on Saturday afternoon (4:10, Fox) then Ryan Dempster (6-8) takes on C.C. Sabathia (10-10) in Sunday Night Baseball (8, ESPN).

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Any Loss To The Blue Jays This Season Is A Bad One, Red Sox Have Dropped 7 of Their Last 9

There are few baseball games that on paper look like automatic wins: when you play a bad team, at home, with your ace on the mound, that's one of those rare occasions when a loss is simply unacceptable. The Red Sox found themselves in that scenario this afternoon and they lost 3-2 to the Blue Jays at rainy Fenway Park.

Clay Buchholz pitched very well (8 innings, 2 earned runs, 6 hits, 4 strikeouts, 3 walks) but Mark Buehrle (7 innings, 1 earned run, 5 hits, 5 strikeouts, 2 walks) was a notch better.

Toronto (14-24 overall, 7-12 away) went up 2-0 on RBI singles by Melky Cabrera and Colby Rasmus (run, walk) in the third and fourth innings respectively.

Boston's (22-15 overall, 13-9 home) continually shot themselves in the foot since they were 0 for 11 with runners in scoring position and left eight men on base. They clawed back in it with an RBI triple by Jacoby Ellsbury off Darren Oliver (2-1) in the eighth and Dustin Pedroia's (2 hits, stolen base) grounder ate up shortstop Munenori Kawasaki, allowing Ellsbury to score.

It wasn't a save situation but Junichi Tazawa's first appearance since getting elevated to closer didn't go smoothly as Adam Lind (3 hits, 2 runs) cranked a solo homer off him to center in the ninth for the winning run. Toronto closer Casey Janssen pitched a scoreless ninth for his 10th save of the season.

The three game series wraps up tomorrow afternoon (1:35 p.m., NESN) with another pitching matchup that favors the home team: Ryan Dempster (2-3) faces rookie Chad Jenkins, who is making his first start of 2013 (it'll be his fourth career start). After splitting the first two games, both squads are going for the series win on Mother's Day.

UPDATE 5/12: David Ross went on the 7-day DL with a concussion suffered yesterday so Ryan Lavarnway was recalled from the PawSox.

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Red Sox Get Back Over .500 Thanks To 3 Home Runs, 7-5 Win Vs. Marlins

After they had a 2-1 pitcher's duel (won by Boston) last Tuesday in Miami, it's only logical that tonight Clay Buchholz and Mark Buehrle both faltered as the Red Sox slugged their way to a 7-5 win in the interleague series opener at Fenway Park.

Boston (34-33, 15-19 home) climbed back over the .500 mark with their fifth win in six games as they sent Miami (33-34, 16-16 away) under it with the Marlins' 11th loss in their last 13 games. The victory was somewhat tempered by the fact that Dustin Pedroia left in the 7th inning after he popped out. It appeared like he re-injured his thumb but I guess we'll have to wait and see since the Red Sox act like the Patriots now when it comes to talking about hurt players.

Far more than starting pitching, this outcome was decided by three Red Sox home runs and a few other hits which were enough to overcome a career-high 5 RBIs from Marlins outfielder Logan Morrison (3 for 4, 2 double, 1 HR).

For the fourth straight game, Buchholz (8-2) still got the win but it broke up a string of four quality starts in a row. In six innings, he allowed five earned runs on nine hits with three strikeouts and a walk.

Buehrle (5-8) was hit even harder as he gave up six earned runs on seven hits in only five innings. He struck out one and walked none but allowed all three longballs.

Morrison gave the Marlins a 2-0 lead in the first inning with his sixth homer of the season.

David Ortiz (17th of the season) tied it with a two-run blast of his own that just got over the wall in right during the home half of the first. Kelly Shoppach (4th of the season) continued his mastery of Buehrle (don't ask me why) with a two-run homer of his own over the Monster in the second inning.

Morrison's RBI double in the third scored Hanley Ramirez (3 hits, 2 runs, walk) and cut Boston's lead to 4-3.

Cody Ross had a memorable first game back from the DL (Scott Podsednik went on the DL with a groin strain) as he connected for a solo home run (his 9th of the season) in the fourth which made it 5-3.

Morrison tied it with a two-run double in the fifth but Adrian Gonzalez had a sacrifice fly in the sixth and Will Middlebrooks (2 hits) doubled in Kevin Youkilis (who had also doubled) in the sixth for the last Red Sox run.

It's become redundant to say but Boston's bullpen was superb again tonight: three innings, one hit, zero walks and three strikeouts. Matt Albers got the first two outs of the seventh before Andrew Miller got Morrison to fly out with Jose Reyes on third base and two outs.

Vicente Padilla allowed a hit but still got his 16th hold with a scoreless eighth (6.2 scoreless innings in a row). Alfredo Aceves struck out two in a 1-2-3 ninth for his 17th save of the season.

Tomorrow night (7:10 p.m., NESN) is another repeat from a week ago as Felix Doubront (7-3) faces Ricky Nolasco (6-5) with the Red Sox looking for their fourth consecutive win. Last Wednesday, Doubront flirted with a no-hitter as Boston rolled 10-2.

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Clay Buchholz Makes Sure The Red Sox Win Once Every Five Games Or So

It was only a month ago that 2012 was starting to look like a lost season for Red Sox pitcher Clay Buchholz, who seemed destined for a trip to Pawtucket. Now, he's pitching like the staff ace as he had his fourth consecutive quality start.

Boston (30-32, 16-13 away) broke its four-game losing streak with a nifty 2-1 win against Miami (32-30, 17-17 home) this evening at Marlins Park.

It was only the second win in the last nine games for the Red Sox, the common thread in both? Buchholz took the ball. The Marlins have lost seven of eight.

Buchholz (7-2) was outstanding in a game when the Red Sox needed nothing less since their offense couldn't do much either against Mark Buehrle (5-7). Buchholz went seven innings, allowing one earned run on five hits with a season-high nine strikeouts and a walk.

His only mistake was a solo home run to Logan Morrison (his 5th of the season) in the seventh inning. Jose Reyes (2 hits) had led off the first with a triple but Buchholz proceeded to strike out the side to get out of trouble.

Vicente Padilla survived an infield single and bloop single in the eighth to strike out two and get his 14th hold of the season. Alfredo Aceves earned his 15th save (1st in 10 days) after allowing a single but also striking out one in the ninth.

Always one of the fastest workers in MLB-wish he'd give some tips to Boston's ultra slow pitchers-Buehrle went seven innings as well. He allowed two earned runs on five hits with four strikeouts and a walk.

Boston's two runs came in the seventh on Kelly Shoppach's (2 doubles) RBI double that drove in Will Middlebrooks and Shoppach came around on an RBI single by Mike Aviles.

Felix Doubront (6-3) faces Ricky Nolasco (6-4) tomorrow night (7:10 p.m., NESN) in the series finale as both teams go for the deciding game.

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