G136: Red Sox 10, Orioles 0

NO-HHITTER!!

Clay Buchholz is the first Red Sox rookie to pitch a no-hitter!

          IP   H   R  ER  BB   K  PIT
Buchholz   9   0   0   0   3   9  115
  
Orioles  -  000  000  000 -  0   0  0
Red Sox  -  010  304  02x - 10  14  0

It is the 17th no-hitter in Red Sox history and the third no-hitter thrown this season (Mark Buehrle on April 18 and Justin Verlander on June 12).

Buchholz is also the 17th rookie to throw a no-hitter. And he is the third pitcher since 1900 to throw a no-hitter in his first or second major league start. Bobo Hollomon of the St. Louis Browns did it in his first start on May 6, 1953, at home against the Philadelphia A's, and Wilson Alvarez did it in his second start on August 11, 1991, for the Chicago White Sox at Baltimore.

Buchholz's changeup -- something that was missing from his debut a few weeks ago against the Angels -- was deadly and he relied on it for much of the game. He mixed in his curveball here and there, and then -- in the top of the ninth -- he suddenly went to his fastball.

Although both Brian Roberts and Corey Patterson had tried to bunt earlier in the game, both Mike Lowell and Kevin Youkilis were playing back at the corners and the Orioles hitters did not even fake a bunt attempt in the ninth.

Buchholz's 0-1 curveball to Roberts was perhaps his best bender of the night, but home plate umpire Joe West did not call it a strike (he seemed fooled by at least three perfect pitches from Clay tonight). At 1-1, Roberts then swung and missed a 92 fastball, fouled off a 94 fastball and fanned on a 93 fastball.

Patterson looked at two balls and a called strike (changeup) before flying out to Coco Crisp in center. It seemed hard hit off the bat but Coco jogged eight or 10 steps towards left-center and had no trouble.

Nick Markakis looked at a 92 fastball up and away and a 71 curveball for a strike, and fouled off a 92 fastball for a 1-2 count. Buchholz's 115th pitch of the night was a beautiful curveball that dropped right into the heart of the zone. It was clearly a strike, but West waited a beat before ringing up Markakis.

There were no thoughts of a perfect game, as Clay plunked Markakis with two outs in the first inning. He began the fifth with walks to Kevin Millar and Aubrey Huff and he walked Roberts to start the sixth.

The fielding gem came courtesy of Dustin Pedroia. Miguel Tejada opened the seventh with a line drive that skipped past Buchholz and seemed headed for center field. Pedoria ranged far to his right, dove and gloved the ball, then popped back up and spun around and fired to first, just getting Tejada.

Buchholz also won a footrace with Corey Patterson on a grounder to Yook to open the third. Crisp ran down a few balls in the gaps, the scariest one hit by Patterson in the sixth.

David Ortiz's bases-loaded double in the fourth brought in three runs and gave Boston a 4-0 lead. Lowell's run-scoring double and Youkilis's three-run home run made it 8-0 in the sixth. Jacoby Ellsbury, who entered the game in the eighth inning, doubled on the only pitch he saw tonight to score two more in the eighth.

***

Garrett Olson (7.33, 60 ERA+) / Clay Buchholz (4.50, 100 ERA+)

Rookie LHP Olson makes his sixth career start (log). He lost to the Red Sox on August 11 (6.1-8-4-6-6, 115). He is subbing for Erik Bedard (strained muscle in his right side).

For Buchholz, it's his second career start. On August 17, Clay (6-8-4-3-3-5, 91) got credit for the 8-4 win over the Angels.