Sox Frustrations Continue by Jared Carrabis
Iwamura Sinks Buchholz Cruise

Late in the eighth inning with two outs, Clay Buchholz was defining what dominance on the mound was all about. Buchholz held the Rays hitless until a fourth inning double broke up that string and he then went on to hold the Rays hitless until the eighth inning. Having let up just one hit through seven and a third innings, with Dioner Navarro standing at first, Clay Buchholz made one of very few mistakes that he would make on Saturday night.


With his pitch count up over 100 pitches, Buchholz threw a breaking ball to Akinori Iwamura that the Japanese born infielder launched deep into the right field corner. For some reason Iwamura proceeded to pose and drop his bat like he was David Ortiz or something (calm down buddy, it was your first home run of the season and you only hit seven last year).


That one home run spoiled a masterful outing by Buchholz in which he threw eight astounding innings of work that saw him strike out a career high nine batters (his last time he struck out nine was his no-hitter last season). Buchholz gave up just the two runs that crossed home plate after the Iwamura home run on three hits and walked two. Buchholz baffled the Tampa Bay Ray’s offense for the entire game leading up to the home run that buried the Sox in the late innings.


This loss is not to be pinned on that of manager Terry Francona for leaving Buchholz in long after the 100-pitch barrier because the pitches being thrown by Buchholz were still very much alive. His fastball was still 91-93, his breaking pitch was still biting as hard as it always does and his change was still throwing the Rays off guard. Buchholz would be tagged with the loss in this one but it was certainly not deserved.


The Boston offense could only muster one run the entire game. Given they are facing an all new Tampa Bay team that has now proved their point that they command respect and are not to be underestimated in the AL East, the Red Sox still have one of the top offenses in the game. Nine times out of ten, one run isn’t going to get the job done. The one run crossed home plate when Coco Crisp lined a single into right field. Crisp would turn on the jets and advance from first all the way to third on a wild pitch by Edwin Jackson and then score on an infield single off the bat of Jacoby Ellsbury.


That one run would prove to not be enough when the Red Sox would go one-two-three in the top half of the ninth and fall to the Rays for the second time in as many nights and continue their losing streak which has now reached four straight losses. It seems as though each loss is more frustrating than the next as the Red Sox lost in the eleventh inning of Friday night’s contest and on the next night they get a masterful outing by their rookie starter only to see it mean nothing after one swing late in the game.


The Red Sox will hand the ball to their ace, Josh Beckett, for the season finale in hopes to salvage the series. Josh Beckett has a career record of 3-2 with a 4.26 ERA in five starts against Tampa Bay. He holds a 1-1 record with a 2.77 ERA at the Trop.


Final Score: Red Sox 1, Rays 2

Published on April 26, 2008

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