Buchholz Two-Hits Rays, Sox Win 5-0

Clay Buchholz tossed a no hitter in his second game as as rookie in 2007. After the seventh inning Sunday afternoon against the Tampa Bay Rays he was dancing with the no-no again. Buchholz had struck out a career high 11 Rays batters and was dominating Tampa Bay. He was hot and Fenway started getting a little nuts.

Apr 14, 2013; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Red Sox starting pitcher

(11) throws a pitch against the Tampa Bay Rays during the first inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

In the eighth inning Buchholz busted Kelly Johnson inside and, as luck would have it, a broken bat lame duck floated into right field to break up the no-no. A double play erased Johnson and Sam Fuld. Buchholz got out of the inning after a double by Desmond Jennings and a fly out by Ben Zobrist.

Boston’s offense had a big third inning assisted by some sloppy Rays defense to put the Rays in a 4-0 hole that they never dug out of.

In the third Mike Napoli doubled deep to the corner of the 420 marker in center field to score Jacoby Ellsbury (single) and Shane Victorino (single) with the bases loaded. Stephen Drew followed with what should have been a routine ground out but Rays shortstop Yunel Escobar threw wildly to first base to score both Napoli and Daniel Nava.

Buccholz didn’t need more than that. he was sharp all day, even when getting into a scrape in the sixth when he walked both Fuld and Zobrist. Buchholz bore down, getting Evan Longoria to fly out to Victorino, advancing Fuld to third base, and got Matt Joyce to ground out to Napoli with Buchholz covering to end the inning.

The Red Sox picked up another run in the eighth on a double by Dustin Pedroia, who advanced to third on a Napoli ground out, and a Will Middlebrooks sac fly.

Andrew Miller, who replaced Buchholz, nailed down the win in the ninth.

The Red Sox have a chance to sweep the series on Patriots Day, an 11:05 start featuring Ryan Dempster (0-1, 3.60) for the Sox and Jeremy Hellickson (0-1, 6.35) for the Rays. The Red Sox head to Cleveland for a quick three-game series before returning to Fenway for a long home stand starting April 19 against the Royals, Athletics and Astros.