G75: Rangers 6, Red Sox 2

Red Sox - 000 001 010 - 2  8  1
Rangers - 300 002 10x - 6 10  0

Clay Buchholz's first six batters: single, single, single, single, walk, single.

He then got a double play and, after an intentional walk, the third out. So allowing only three runs seemed almost like a positive thing. Buchholz (5.1-7-5-5-3, 97) managed to stick around until the sixth, when he surrendered a two-run dong to Prince Fielder, a home run that ruined Clay's chances of a Quality Start (!) and effectively sealed the Red Sox's fate.

Note: Buchholz threw a first-pitch strike to each of the first seven Texas hitters in that horrific first inning. While batters certainly fare better proceeding from a 1-0 count than from 0-1, sometimes that factoid, so often tossed out by broadcasters to illustrate a pitcher's success, is little more than bullshit.

Bryce Brentz (2-for-3) hit his first career home run in the sixth inning. David Ortiz drove in an eighth-inning run with a pinch-hit single.

The Orioles beat the Rays 12-5, so the Red Sox, while still in second place, dropped to 4 GB in the East.

Clay Buchholz / Martin Perez

Betts, RF
Pedroia, 2B
Bogaerts, SS
Ramirez, 1B
Bradley, CF
Brentz, DH
Shaw, 3B
Leon, C
LaMarre, LF

Because the Orioles won two games yesterday, the Red Sox are now 3 GB. The Blue Jays are 4 GB.