The Red Sox hoped to be able to use this series with the Cubs to start a run to get back to .500 since the Cubs are one of the few teams with a worse record than the Sox. So far, this has not gone to plan. The Cubs have taken the first two games of the series and the Sox offense is once again no where to be found. Buchholz pitched well for the Sox, but ended up leaving the mound with a no decision. The Cubs would end up getting the winning run, surprisingly, from Koji Uehara.
This game was destined to be a low scoring game when the first run didn’t show up on the scoreboard until the 5th inning. Both Buchholz and Jackson were doing a pretty good job keeping the other side off the base paths. Buchholz looked pretty good overall in his 2nd outing off the DL. The Sox struck first when Pedroia hit an RBI single to score Bradley from 3rd. Sox 1-0. They didn’t hold the lead long though as the Cubs would tie it up in the top of the 6th. The Cubs had runners on the corner and no outs and then Coghlan hit an RBI grounder to score Ruggiano from 3rd. Sox 1-1. The Cubs were threatening to take the lead, but Napoli made a great grab turn unassisted double play to end the inning.
Buchholz got in a little more trouble in the 7th inning when he gave up a single and then hit a batter to have runners at the corners again, this time with one out. Farrell went to get Buchholz in favor of Andrew Miller. Miller did his job and then some striking out the two batters he faced to end the inning without the Cubs being able to get on the scoreboard. Buchholz’s pitching line for the night was 100 pitches, 6.2 IP 6 H, 1 R, 4 BB and 3 Ks. I’ll take that version of Buchholz in the rotation verses the version we saw before he went on the DL. The game stayed tied 1-1 until the top of the 9th when usually steady Koji Uehara took the mound. Koji gave up a leadoff single to Rizzo and then a double to Castro to have runners at 2nd and 3rd with no outs. Valbuena got the Cubs the go ahead run when he hit a sac fly to Betts in right and Rizzo was able to tag up and score. Sox 1-2. The Sox made an effort to rally in the bottom of the 9th, but fell short. Brock Holt hit an infield single with 2 outs to keep the inning going and then handed it over to Dustin Pedroia. Pedey hit a ball down the 3rd base line and the throw just barely beat hit to the bag. Pedey was insistent that he was safe and Farrell challenged the play, but it was ruled that Pedey was in fact out and the game was over.
Red Sox 1 Cubs 2 BOXSCORE
WP: Strop (1-3) LP: Uehara (3-2) SV: Rondon (11)
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