G50: Red Sox 8, Atlanta 6

Red Sox - 001 050 200 - 8  7  0
Atlanta - 003 300 000 - 6  8  0

Dirty Water in Atlanta! The Red Sox win a game!

After Grady Sizemore tripled and scored on Jackie Bradley's sac fly in the top of the third, Clay Buchholz promptly gave it right back - and then some. Justin Upton's two-run double was the big hit.

When Buchholz allowed the first three batters to reach in the fourth inning, manager John Farrell pulled the plug: 3-4-6-8-4, 88. Buchholz's ERA for the season, after 10 starts, is now 7.02. (After 10 starts last year, it was 1.73.)

The Red Sox rallied to tie the game against Ervin Santana (5-5-6-3-6, 95) in the fifth. It was like old times. With two outs, pinch-hitter Daniel Nava fell behind 0-2, but worked an eight-pitch walk. Brock Holt doubled to right and Xander Bogaerts walked, loading the bases. Dustin Pedroia, down in the count 0-2, singled to left to score two runs and David Ortiz homered to left-center, bringing in three more.

After Boston batted in the sixth, the game was delayed by rain for 86 minutes.

The Red Sox loaded the bases against Ian Thomas with one out in the seventh, as Holt singled and Bogaerts and Pedroia walked. Ortiz flied to right to give Boston a 7-6 lead. A.J. Pierzynski singled to center, scoring XB. Reliever Luis Avilan took over and walked Jonny Gomes. Sizemore grounded out to end the inning.

From there, it was up to the bullpen. Junichi Tazawa pitched a perfect seventh. Andrew Miller allowed a leadoff single in the eighth, but the batter was thrown out trying for a double, and then Miller got the next two hitters. Koji Uehara allowed a one-out single in the ninth before getting Andrelton Simmons to ground into a 6-4-3 double play to end the game.

Clay Buchholz / Ervin Santana

Holt, 3B
Bogaerts, SS
Pedroia, 2B
Ortiz, 1B
Pierzynski, C
Gomes, RF
Sizemore, LF
Bradley, CF

The Red Sox - eight games out in the East and sinking like a rock, having lost 10 straight games - begin a four-game home-and-home series against Atlanta (28-21), who leads the NL East by three games.

Ryan Lavarnway has been recalled from Pawtucket, with Alex Wilson going back down.

Also: Manny Ramirez has been hired by the Cubs as a player-coach for their AAA team. ... Josh Beckett no-hit the Phillies yesterday. ... Why can't we get pitchers like that?