That's the way it's going these days. As the injuries pile high, so too do the contributions from guys you may not think much of before the game begins.
The hero watch continues Sunday when the Sox throw Jon Lester against Giants ace Tim Lincecum. First pitch is 4:05 p.m., but before that we will have any and all injury updates for you.
Final, Red Sox 4-2: Given the circumstances of this one (Dustin Pedroia to DL, Clay Buchholz lasting just one inning), it's quite a win for the Sox and again the contributions come from all over the place.
Eighth pitchers combine to shut down the Giants and Mike Cameron and Darnell McDonald go deep as Boston improves to 2-3 on the road trip.
Back in a bit to sum things up.
Mid 9th, Red Sox 4-2: Hold your breath, Sox fans. Jonathan Papelbon is on to try to save a game for the third time on this road trip. I think you all know how the first two efforts went.
Papelbon will face the bottom third of the Giants' lineup.
End 8th, Red Sox 4-2: Quite a day for Mike Cameron, whose three-run homer in the second is the difference on the scoreboard and who just made a sensational catch on the warning track in center to help Daniel Bard get through a perfect eighth.
We've been waiting for some sign of what the Sox were hoping for when they picked up Cameron, and slowly it has been coming in the past week. He seems much more comfortable at the plate (six RBIs in five games) and is going all out in center, showing fewer signs of discomfort.
If you missed the catch, just check it out on SportsDesk.
Mid 8th, Red Sox 4-2: There was a J.D. Drew sighting in the eighth. There was not, however, any sign of the Red Sox' offense, which has gone dormant since the early blasts by Darnell McDonald and Mike Cameron.
End 7th, Red Sox 4-2: Hideki Okajima serves up a double to Freddy Sanchez that comes within a foot or two of going out, but battles back to get the next three in order. Clutch effort by Okie there.
Mid 7th, Red Sox 4-2: It looks like Hideki Okajima is next. This game is so much like the one exactly two weeks ago when Daisuke Matsuzaka was a late scratch and the Sox' bullpen pieced it together. The big difference was that the Boston bats put up 12 runs that day and the pen was never under much pressure. We'll see how it responds in a tight affair.
End 6th, Red Sox 4-2: One of the two inherited runners for Dustin Richardson comes in on a sacrifice fly, but given how the inning started the Sox will live with that.
Boston still has Hideki Okajima, Daniel Bard and Jonathan Papelbon lurking. Before some of you roll your eyes at the thought of Papelbon coming into this game, just think that the Giants don't even have their closer available. Brian Wilson threw way too many pitches Friday night to go again.
8:57 p.m.: You figured the Giants would threaten soon enough with the way the Red Sox bullpen has been of late. Manny Delcarmen leaves with runners on the corners and no outs in the sixth.
Mid 6th, Red Sox 4-1: Since Mike Cameron's three-run homer in the second, Madison Bumgarner has allowed just two hits and has three 1-2-3 innings, including the sixth. Adrian Beltre struck out to end it.
End 5th, Red Sox 4-1: Despite more injuries, a parade of relievers and a bunch of early runs, this one is flying. Manny Delcarmen works around a leadoff single in the fifth to get the Sox to the sixth with a three-run advantage.
Here is the complete story on the Red Sox' trade.
Mid 5th, Red Sox 4-1: The Sox are so thin, just halfway through this game, that John Lackey was just used as a pinch hitter. Lackey did have two hits the other night in Colorado, but his reputation as a hitter is about the same aas most AL hurlers. Not good.
Lackey's at bat takes Ramon Ramirez out of the game. Manny Delcarmen is coming on, already the fourth Boston pitcher of the game.
Terry Francona recently told FOX that the quick diagnosis on Clay Buchholz was pretty good and he may have avoided anything serious with the hyperextended knee. We can only hope that his removal was simply precautionary.
End 4th, Red Sox 4-1: The Giants scratch one across on a grounder when Buster Posey beats out a potential inning-ending double play. The run is charged to Scott Atchison. Meanwhile, the Sox have acquired infielder/outfielder Eric Patterson from Oakland for a minor league lefty.
8:24 p.m.: Scott Atchison leaves with runners on the corners and one out in the fourth. Ramon Ramirez is coming in.
Mid 4th, Red Sox 4-0: Madison Bumgarner has settled in a bit here, perhaps putting the pressure on the Boston bullpen. Scott Atchison's spot is due up second in the fifth so this will be his last inning, in all likelihood.
The Clay Buchholz injury is not the first for American League pitchers playing in interleague games. One that immediately comes to mind is Yankees righty Chien-Ming Wang, who was never the same after a leg injury at Houston in 2008.
By the way, Derek Jeter turns 36 today. Just thought you would all like to know.
End 3rd, Red Sox 4-0: Before joining the Red Sox, Scott Atchison last pitched in the major leagues with the Giants back in 2007. He is now emerging as a pretty important piece to the Boston bullpen with the way things have been going.
Atchison has allowed just three runs in his last 13 1/3 innings out of the pen, striking out 11 in that span.
Mid 3rd, Red Sox 4-0: The Sox go quietly in the third and we turn our attention to how they will piece together these last seven innings.
Scott Atchison is good for three or so and you may see Manny Delcarmen for a pair. Jonathan Papelbon is also available again, and Dustin Richardson and Fabio Castro — the two call-ups — are well rested.
We still don't know exaclty what happened to Clay Buchholz, but if he is out for an extended period of time and with Josh Beckett out until late-July, in all likelihood, the Sox may get more involved in the Cliff Lee chase.
End 2nd, Red Sox 4-0: Scott Atchison comes in and retires the side in the second. That's the furthest thing from your minds, I'm sure. We will get you the update on Clay Buchholz when we hear.
Atchison, if you recall, was pressed into duty when Daisuke Matsuzaka went on the DL two weeks ago and threw three solid innings.
Let the debates on interleague play begin anew. Pitchers getting hurt on the basepaths…not good.
7:50 p.m.: It's getting to be ridiculous, isn't it? Clay Buchholz came up lame running to second base and is immediately removed in favor of Scott Atchison.
Mid 2nd, Red Sox 4-0: Mike Cameron finally has a home run in a Red Sox uniform, and it's a bomb to center with two men on. Follow that up with a single in the first major league at bat for Clay Buchholz and you know that Madison Bumgarner is overmatched.
Cameron's homer is his first since Sept. 30 at Colorado. He very quietly has six RBIs in his last five games.
I noticed a reader ask why J.D. Drew was not in the lineup, as expected. The main reason is that the Giants originally had a right-hander scheduled to start, but instead called up lefty Madison Bumgarner for this one.
We can only guess that they want to get Drew back in the starting lineup when everything is right. But I agree, it's been a long time since he was originally supposed to be back.
End 1st, Red Sox 1-0: We mentioned Clay Buchholz having some struggles in the first inning. It's not glaring, as his ERA is 2.40, but within the innings he has had to overcome a ton of jams. He has now walked 14 men in 15 first innings this year and had runners on the corners with just one out in this one before battling back.
Mid 1st, Red Sox 1-0: The drum keeps beating for the fill-ins, as Darnell McDonald, batting in Dustin Pedroia's customary spot, gets the Sox started in fine fashion with a solo shot to left.
That's how you put behind a depressing pregame. Now watch for Clay Buchholz here in the first inning, in which he has been a tad shaky this year.
6:57 p.m.: Madison Bumgarner, the Giants' 20-year-old lefty and the organization's top pitching prospect, was slated to start the season in the rotation but struggled in spring training.
He has worked his way back into the mix with a 7-1 mark at Triple-A Fresno. We'll see in a moment what he has to offer, which is a rather soft arsenal that pitches to contact. Expect strikes to be thrown.
6:05 p.m.: Lost in the hubbub surrounding the loss of Dustin Pedroia is the fact that Clay Buchholz will be looking to pick up his 11th win, which would be tops in the American League depending on the result of David Price's outing this afternoon.
Buchholz is 5-1 with a 1.74 ERA on the road.
If the Sox are going to survive longterm without the services of Pedroia, it is the pitching that will have to step up, even more than it has in the past month or so.
In the meantime, here is some of Pedroia's reaction in San Francisco:
"We'll be fine. We'll find ways to win," he said. "We've had guys get hurt all year, and we've still been able to win games. I don't see why we still can't do that. Everyone's going to have to step up and find a way to win ballgames. … Not one guy makes a team. We've got a lot of great players on our team. Hopefully they can weather everything and wait for everyone to get back healthy and we'll take off."
Buchholz can set the tone in this one.
5:25 p.m.: We gave you the update on Dustin Pedroia, placed on the disabled list with a potentially crushing injury for the Red Sox. Here is a quick take from Terry Francona on the situation:
"I don't know that we have a parameter yet," Francona told reporters at AT&T Park. "When we know the severity of it, then we'll have some parameters. I think anybody that's been around Dustin would bet on him being quicker than anybody humanly possible healing. But they don't know the extent of it yet."
Francona added that surgery could be an option going forward. The fracture is to his navicular mid-foot bone. Pedroia will be re-examined at Mass General on Monday before a timetable for his return is mapped out.
Angel Sanchez, who can play several infield positions, is with the team and active.
The Sox will be tested well beyond anything they've faced with the injuries to the outfielders. While Hall is a nice player, having him as your only true backup to Pedroia and Scutaro speaks to how thin the team is at those positions. Remember, Scutaro is in his mid-30s and has already had two cortisone shots.
We can examine this more as the game progresses. Back in a bit.
3:48 p.m.: As we await the word on Dustin Pedroia's condition out of San Francisco, here is the lineup without him:
Marco Scutaro, SS
Darnell McDonald, RF
Victor Martinez, C
Kevin Youkilis, 1B
Adrian Beltre, 3B
Daniel Nava, LF
Bill Hall, 2B
Mike Cameron, CF
Clay Buchholz, P
More updates to come.
11:23 a.m.: Just got word this morning that Madison Bumgarner will be given the start instead of Joe Martinez.
Bumgarner pitched 10 innings for the Giants last season, giving up just two earned runs. With Triple-A Fresno this season, he's 7-1 with a 3.16 ERA.
10:14 a.m.: While they await word on Dustin Pedroia's injured left foot, the Red Sox prepare to meet the San Francisco Giants in the second of three straight at AT&T Park.
Pedroia will have more tests on the foot, which was hurt when he fouled a ball off his instep in the third inning of Friday's 5-4 loss. There were no immediate results of the X-rays.
Clay Buchholz takes a 10-4 mark into Saturday's start. He has won seven of his last eight starts and could become the first American League pitcher to record 11 wins.
Joe Martinez, who played at Boston College, will go for the Giants.
