Red Sox Wrap: Clay Buchholz Struggles; Jackie Bradley’s Streak Ends In 8-2 Loss

BOSTON — The Red Sox’s game Thursday was a pretty good example of Murphy’s Law: Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong.

Clay Buchholz had a disaster of a game despite starting strong, giving up three two-run home runs to the Colorado Rockies to put the Red Sox in a huge hole. The Rockies kept piling it on, too, en route to an 8-2 loss for Boston. Not to mention, Jackie Bradley Jr. showed his human side, as his 29-game hitting streak came to an end.

Here’s how it all went down.

GAME IN A WORD
Disappointing.

Buchholz imploded, the Red Sox’s offense cooled off after scoring 18 runs in the first two games and Bradley’s streak ended. Do you need more reasons why “disappointing” is a good word for this game?

IT WAS OVER WHEN …
Buchholz gave up two two-run homers in the fifth inning.

The first two-run shot in the fourth was one thing, but the second and third ones in the very next frame put the game out of reach at 6-2.

ON THE BUMP
— It’s hard to believe Clay Buchholz started this game with three perfect innings. The right-hander ended his perfection by giving up a single to Rockies center fielder Charlie Blackmon in the fourth inning. That paved the way for a two-run shot for right fielder Carlos Gonzalez, but Buchholz got out of the inning with the score tied at 2-2.

But then the fifth inning happened, and Buchholz gave up two more two-run homers to shortstop Trevor Story and catcher Dustin Garneau with no outs. He recorded three quick outs after that, but was yanked after giving up a leadoff single to Gonzalez in the sixth. Buchholz finished the night with six runs on seven hits with two strikeouts and three home runs over five innings.

— Heath Hembree finished off his three batters in the sixth, ending the inning with a strikeout to Story. Hembree allowed an unearned run in the seventh after an error by third baseman Travis Shaw left the base loaded, and he ended with two hits, two strikeouts and the one run through three innings.

— Tommy Layne closed things out and gave up one run on two hits with two strikeouts.

IN THE BATTER’S BOX
— It wasn’t a great offensive night for the Red Sox, to say the least. Besides not putting much on the scoreboard, Bradley’s hitting streak ended after 29 games when the center fielder went 0-for-4 with two very well struck flyouts.

— Xander Bogaerts kept his 19-game streak alive, though, singling in the first inning and going 1-for-4 with a run. David Ortiz, who drove Bogaerts in with a two-run homer, went 2-for-4 with two RBIs and a run.

— Dustin Pedroia went 1-for-2 with a two walks, Chris Young went 1-for-3 with a walk and catcher Christian Vazquez went 1-for-3. Mookie Betts pinch-hit for Vazquez in the ninth and grounded out.

— Hanley Ramirez (0-for-4), Travis Shaw (0-for-4) and Blake Swihart (0-for-3 with a walk) all went hitless.

TWEET OF THE NIGHT
There was at least some good at Fenway Park on Thursday.

UP NEXT
The Red Sox take a trip to Toronto to face the Blue Jays on Friday and start a 10-game swing against American League East teams. Joe Kelly will be on the mound for Boston against Jays right-hander Aaron Sanchez.

Thumbnail photo via David Butler II/USA TODAY Sports Images