There was a game of over three hours following a rain delay of over three hours Thursday night and morning in New York, which led to a dusk arrival in Canada. Included on that trip was starting pitcher Clay Buchholz, who attempted to fly ahead of the team a day before, only to have his flight get canceled.
And so, after just a few hours of rest at the team hotel, they were forced to muster up enough energy to take on a Blue Jays team that had already swept a series between the two in Rogers Centre earlier in the year.
When things are going as well as they are with the Red Sox right now, such obstacles are insignificant.
Buchholz rebounded from a rocky start and a bout with a back strain to throw seven solid innings, and the offense produced 11 hits in a 5-1 victory. It is Boston's seventh win in a row and improves the club to 20-6 since its previous visit to the Great White North.
It was the type of win that will enable everyone to sleep well.
Much of that has to do with Buchholz, who was never really threatened in his first start in a week. He didn't allow a hit until the fourth, the one inning the Jays scored on a meager sacrifice fly. Buchholz yielded only three hits and struck out six overall.
The right-hander worked out of minor jams in the sixth and seventh innings and continually served as a source of inspiration for teammates in dire need of something to lean on.
"Everybody was tired tonight," manager Terry Francona said before turning his attention to Saturday. "We're going to be tired tomorrow, we've got a quick turnaround."
Indeed, it is a day game after a night game on Saturday. It features John Lackey pitching in a place, and against an opponent, that sent him reeling last month before being placed on the disabled list. He will oppose Brandon Morrow, one of the better young pitchers in the American League.
Once again, one could make an argument that the odds are stacked against the Red Sox. They will remain somewhat fatigued. The pitching matchup is, at best, even for Boston. The way the Sox are playing, however, makes it hard to bet against them. There always seems to be someone stepping up.
On Friday, it was Clay Buchholz.
