Buchholz Notches Eighth Win, Boston Outslugs Miami 7-5

If DH Logan Morrison hadn’t done so well what he was paid to do, Clay Buchholz‘ game against the Miami Marlins may have been a lot easier. Through five innings Morrison banged Buchholz for a two-runer homer in the first, a run scoring double in the third and a two-RBI double in the fifth to plate all the Marlins runs.

Thanks to Morrison, Buchholz was jammed up for half the game. Luckily for Buchholz, as has been the case in nearly every one of his outings this year, Boston’s offense was armed with it own brand of greased lightning that was custom-made for a slugfest win. And slug they did as the Marlins and Sox pounded out 10 hits apiece and see-sawed back and forth for half the game before Boston finally took control in the fifth and made a 7-5 lead stand up the rest of the way.

David Ortiz tied the game at 2-2 when he cranked a frozen rope into the right field stands in the bottom of the first with Dustin Pedroia on. Kelly Shoppach liked what he saw and did the same in the bottom of the second with Will Middlebrooks aboard. From the book of “Geez Isn’t It Good To Get a Guy Off The DL”, Cody Ross hit a Monster shot to left field to put Boston up 5-3 in his second at bat after returning from a long stint on the DL.

In the bottom of the fifth after Morrison had inflicted more damage, Boston broke back on a Mike Aviles ground rule double, a Pedroia sac bunt to move Aviles to third and an Adrian Gonzalez sac fly to right field that put Boston up 6-5. Boston capped off their offensive night with a Will Middlebrooks double that scored Kevin Youkilis in the sixth.

In the end it was a display of both power, some solid get ’em on, get ’em over, get ’em in baseball fundamentals and a stout bullpen effort – a quartet of Boston relievers (Matt Albers, Andrew Miller, Vicente Padilla and Alfredo Aceves combined to give up just one hit and no runs over three innings) – that made this win so satisfying.

Ominous Footnote:
In the seventh inning after getting jammed on a foul ball Pedey shook his right hand. left the game, went straight from the dugout to the clubhouse and was replaced by Nick Punto.. Here’s betting that Red Sox Nation gets a thumbs down by morning.