eight strong innings, pinch-hitter Mike Lowell drove in the go-ahead run
with a bases loaded walk and the Boston Red Sox beat the Toronto Blue
Jays 2-1 on Tuesday night.
It was Boston's fifth straight victory
in Toronto, and their fifth consecutive one-run game. The Red Sox are
4-1 in those games.
One night after the teams combined for
25 runs and 34 hits in battering 13 pitchers, starters Buchholz and
Shaun Marcum gave the bullpens a break.
Buchholz (2-2) allowed one run and
seven hits to win for the first time in three starts. He walked two,
struck out four and lowered his ERA to 2.19.
With closer Jonathan Papelbon getting a
day off after working in three of the past four games, right-hander
Ramon Ramirez worked the ninth for his first save.
Marcum allowed one run and four hits
in seven innings and has four no-decisions in five starts this season.
He walked three and struck out five.
Scott Downs (0-3) replaced Marcum in
the eighth inning and struck out the first batter, then gave up
consecutive singles to Dustin Pedroia and Victor Martinez. Pedroia took
third when Kevin Youkilis flied to right and Downs left after walking
J.D. Drew to load the bases. Kevin Gregg came on to face Lowell, who
batted for David Ortiz, and walked him on four pitches, his first walk
this season. Adrian Beltre ended the rally with a liner back to the
mound.
Toronto opened the scoring in the
first when Fred Lewis singled, took second on a grounder and scored on a
two-out double by Vernon Wells.
Boston tied it with a two-out rally in
the second. Ortiz walked, went to second on Beltre's single and scored
on a base hit by Jeremy Hermida.
Toronto put runners at first and
second with two outs in the fourth and fifth but failed to score each
time.
Drew doubled to begin the seventh and
Beltre drew a one-out walk but Marcum fanned Hermida and got Darnell
McDonald to pop out.
Wells reached second on Beltre's
throwing error in the eighth but Lyle Overbay struck out looking and
Alex Gonzalez flied out.
Notes
The Red Sox recalled LHP Fabio
Castro from Triple-A Pawtucket and optioned RHP Scott Atchison to
Triple-A. … Boston OF Jacoby Ellsbury (chest contusion) and OF Mike
Cameron (abdominal strain) both took swings off a tee and are increasing
the intensity of their workouts, according to manager Terry Francona.
… Attendance was 14,776, Toronto's fifth-largest crowd this season.