(Photo by Abelimages/Getty Images)
The Red Sox were firing on all cylinders tonight on their way to an easy 7-2 victory in Toronto.
When Clay Buchholz announced that he was going to start working with his own, personal pitching coaches I was a little skeptical. But the duo of Doc Brown and Marty McFly seem to be paying off immensely as Buchholz has reverted back to his 2010 self over his last two starts. He had no trouble with the Toronto batters tonight, holding the Blue Jays to 3 hits and 1 run through his first 6 innings. After Sox batters tacked on 4 runs to lead off the 7th, Clay relaxed a bit, giving up a solo home run and three more hits over his next two frames. He left after the 8th with 7 strike outs, 6 hits and 2 runs allowed.
Sox batters put on a show of their own, with everybody but Saltalamacchia (who notched an RBI) getting a hit. The notable performances include Nava, who is showing no signs of slowing down. He went 4-5 on the night with 3 doubles (THREE DOUBLES) an RBI and 3 runs scored. He also had a nifty jumping catch in the 9th. Ortiz went 2-3 with a home run and 2 RBIs. Gonzalez had 3 hits and 2 RBIs of his own. Sweeney had a couple hits, including a double. Not to be outdone, Nick Punto even got a hit, raising his average up to .132 on the year.
Scott Atchison defended his 'Best Relief Pitcher on the Planet' title, shutting out the Jays in the 9th. His ERA now stands at 0.89.
A lot of positives to take from this game, but none more so than Clay's second consecutive dominant performance (both against AL East opponents). Over his last 15 innings, he's allowed just 4 runs and 3 walks while striking out 13. And I couldn't be more happy. But enough of this. There's a second half to a Celtics game to watch.
