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Jays can't break Clay in trimphant return

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Updated Jul 18, 2009 5:30 PM ET
     
 
RED SOX 4, Blue Jays 1 TORONTO - When the Red Sox tabbed Clay Buchholz to open the second half of their season, it was partly a reward for the pitcher's outstanding work at Pawtucket and partly to guard against any kind of letdown by the rest of the team. The Sox understood that the four-day All-Star respite might find the team a little flat as the season resumed, and figured the presence of a pitcher out to make a good impression might serve to lift the focus and energy all around. The plan - to say nothing of the work of Buchholz - worked like a charm, as the Sox disposed of the Toronto Blue Jays, 4-1, for their sixth win in their last seven tries. ``It was huge for (Buchholz) and good for us to get a `W' here in the first game of a series,'' said first baseman Kevin Youkilis, who drilled a two-run homer in the top of the first to provide Buchholz with some early run support. ``It's good to come back and get something positive done.'' ``You come back sometimes (from the break) and you're a step slower,'' said Terry Francona. ``But we looked crisp and a lot of that was because Buck came out and pitched good. Plus, we had some timely hitting. Guys came back (Thursday night) and had some energy and weren't just going through the motions. We talked about this, and having Buck pitch, I think it worked out as well as we could have hoped.'' On loan from Pawtucket for a one-game cameo, Buchholz had a 2-0 lead before he took the mound, courtesy of the homer by Youkilis. ``I took a big sigh of relief when Youk hit that home run,'' acknowledged Buchholz, who lasted 5 2/3 innings and allowed one run on four hits. ``You can relax a little bit more. You can't relax too much because two hits can make it a tie game, but it felt good pitching with the lead. I knew coming out here they were going to score some runs.'' The Jays, who dropped to 2-9 over their last 11 games, scraped out a run in the fourth on a fielder's choice, a double and a sacrifice fly to cut the Sox' lead in half. But Buchholz stranded the tying run at third when he got Jose Bautista to line out to second. The Sox provided additional padding in the fifth on a two-run, opposite-field double from David Ortiz. In the sixth, with his pitch count climbing over 100, Buchholz allowed a hard-hit, two-out line drive single to Lyle Overbay then walked Alex Rios to bring the potential go-ahead run to the plate. In came Daniel Bard, who's actually younger than Buchholz. Bard fanned Bautista, then retired the Jays in order in the seventh before handing the game over to Hideki Okajima and Jonathan Papelbon. Bard has now retired 29 of the last 31 hitters he's faced and hasn't allowed an earned run over his last six appearances, covering 8 2/3 innings. Of the 29 outs he's recorded in that span, 17 have come on strikeouts. ``I just think I've gotten to the point where I'm trusting my stuff earlier in the count,'' said Bard, ``which has allowed me to get ahead of guys. It's amazing what happens when you get ahead of guys.'' - smcadam@bostonherald.com
Tagged: Blue Jays, Clay Buchholz, Red Sox, Jose Bautista, Kevin Youkilis, Daniel Bard

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