Buchholz Keeps His Cool

With only one out in the top of the first inning on Sunday night, Clay Buchholz had thrown 21 pitches and the Dodgers had the bases loaded. But he kept his head and got a strikeout and a weak grounder back to the mound to keep LA off the scoreboard.

Buchholz ended up pitching into the seventh inning and the Sox shut out the Dodgers 2-0.

Certain situations, maybe I've been in them before and know how it feels to get out of them, know how it feels not to get out of them. ... It's having to go through some struggles to get to a point where you can pitch with confidence.

Victor Martinez:

He doesn't get desperate. He just stayed focus[ed]. That's the great thing about him. ... The biggest thing with him is getting more and more comfortable.

Terry Francona:

He is just a maturing young pitcher. His stuff is so good and now that he has some repetition under his belt, he is able to execute pitches as opposed to thinking about 19 different things that are going on. It is fun to watch.

Buchholz has a 1.62 ERA in his last eight starts, dating back to May 14.

Ian Browne notes that when Theo Epstein mentioned "run prevention" over the winter, he was not talking about preventing his own team from scoring runs.

Boston leads all of MLB in plate appearances (2,810), runs (390), hits (689), doubles (174), RBIs (373), total bases (1,158), slugging percentage (.468), and OPS (.821). The Red Sox are second in home runs, batting average, and on-base percentage, and third in walks.

Francona:

We're getting contributions from all over the map. I think that's why you're starting to see more personality, more enthusiasm, more energy during the games. It's been good. ... Our dugout's been real energetic and a lot of enthusiasm.

Martinez:

I didn't really understand the questions that we wouldn't have a good offense. We lost a good guy in Jason Bay ... [but] it doesn't mean that your offense is completely lost. You have to count on that guy right there [Ortiz] ... You have Youkilis, you have Beltre, you have Pedroia. What else do you want? Do you want an All-Star team?

Dustin Pedroia was told that his stolen base and advancing to third on a throwing error in the first inning on Sunday was reminiscent of Johnny Damon's hustle for the Yankees in Game 4 of the last year's World Series:

I wasn't watching. I was barbecuing. I have a life. If I'm not in it, I don't watch it.

Adrian Beltre, on his one-knee home runs:

I'm looking fastball, drop to my knee to follow breaking ball, get to my knee, see, hit. Kids, don't try it.