Boston Red Sox end West Coast swing on a high note

Clay Buchholz made his return to the Boston Red Sox rotation on Wednesday night and it wasn’t pretty early.

David Ortiz got the Red Sox off to an early lead with a first inning two-run home run, but the lead didn’t last long. For the second night in a row, Kyle Seager and Mike Zunino both hit home runs, this time in the second inning for a combined three runs to give the Seattle Mariners an early lead.

That Mariners lead did not last long either, as both Daniel Nava and Ortiz came through with RBI singles in the top of the third to put the Red Sox back on top, and that is when Buchholz settled in. He wound up going 7.1 innings, giving up four runs on three home runs. The home runs Buchholz allowed, three, were greater than the number of Mariners he retired via the strikeout, two, but getting Buchholz back is certainly a good sign for the Red Sox.

Another good sign for the Red Sox was Koji Uehara getting a save after really struggling in Oakland. It wasn’t the smoothest of innings: he did allow a hit and a walk in the ninth, but got out of it without giving up the lead.

The Red Sox got the win by a score of 5-4 and will head back to the East Coast and take on the New York Yankees on Friday. Brandon Workman (1.0, 2.88) returns from suspension to face Vidal Nuno (1-4, 5.88).