Red Sox rap Jays' Romero again
Buchholz impresses in big league cameo
Last Updated: Friday, July 17, 2009 | 11:15 PM ET
CBC Sports
Boston pitcher Clay Buchholz made an impressive, if temporary, return to the big leagues on Friday in Toronto, buoyed by offensive support from Kevin Youkilis and David Ortiz. (Darren Calabrese/Canadian Press)Toronto Blue Jays rookie pitcher Ricky Romero has baffled a lot of batters this season, but Kevin Youkilis and David Ortiz of the Boston Red Sox aren't among them.
Boston first baseman Youkilis hit a first-inning home run off Romero for the second time this season, and Ortiz later contributed a two-run double in a 4-1 road victory in front of a crowd of just under 33,000 at Rogers Centre, many of them Red Sox supporters.
The results fairly mirrored Romero's losing effort against Boston on May 31, when Youkilis hit a solo shot in the first and Ortiz hit a key double in the fourth.
Toronto (44-47) lost for the third consecutive time. The club has a winning percentage of just .340 since roaring out to a 27-14 start.
Blue Jays manager Cito Gaston said the Red Sox batters displayed their veteran smarts.
"You talk about working the count, they'll work the count, and if you get in the area where they like to swing, they certainly will hit you hard," he said.
Boston (55-34) has won four straight and maintain their three-game lead atop the American League East.
Clay Buchholz (1-0) prevailed over Romero in a battle of 2005 draft choices. In his first start of the season, Buchholz allowed just one run and three hits in just under six innings of work.
Manager Terry Francona inserted Buchholz into the rotation in part to give his deep veteran staff more rest coming out of the all-star break but also to get another look at the 24-year-old, who has already experienced the extremes in a relatively brief career.
Buchholz threw a no-hitter in his second major league start in 2007 but tumbled last season to a 2-9 record and 6.75 earned-run average.
His last major league win came on May 2, 2008.
"It feels like about three years ago," Buchholz said after the game. "It was a good feeling. It's good to be back up here and be able to have the confidence coming into this game and leaving with the same confidence I came into the game with."
Youkilis drilled Romero's offering over the left-field wall for his 17th home run, scoring Dustin Pedroia and giving Buchholz immediate run support.
"It was just a fastball that stayed up, I was trying to sink it down and away," said Romero.
Romero (7-4) more than rebounded over the next two innings, sprinkling a walk and a hit among six outs, all strikeouts.
Buchholz got off to a strong start, inducing three ground ball outs in the first.
Toronto halved the lead as Buchholz hit his first spot of trouble in the fourth. After giving up Adam Lind's 28th double of the season, the pitcher snared Scott Rolen's ground ball and threw Lind out at third.
But Rolen moved over to third on Lyle Overbay's ground-rule double and then scored on a Jose Bautista sacrifice fly.
Romero walked Pedroia and Youkilis in the fifth, setting the table for Ortiz's double over David Dellucci's head at the top of the left-field wall.
Romero left having given up five hits and five walks in 4 2/3 innings, striking out eight.
"If you look at both starts [against Boston] it's come down to walks," he said. "You can't give this team second chances or they'll make you pay."
Buchholz left in the sixth after allowing Overbay's third hit of the game and walking Alex Rios. Boston reliever Daniel Bard ended Toronto's last sustained offensive threat, striking out Bautista.
Buchholz said his curveball wasn't working great, but both he and Gaston credited a changeup that complemented his fastball. With no room on the Sox roster, the pitcher is headed back to Triple-A Pawtucket.
"I knew what I was coming for, I knew it was a one-game deal, so I'll take it for what it's worth and I'll be back sometime in September or next year," Buchholz said.
Jonathan Papelbon made it official three innings later with his 24th save, giving Boston a 5-2 edge in the season series.
Toronto's Shawn Camp retired all eight batters he faced, with fellow relievers Brandon League and Jeremy Accardo also solid to keep the Jays within shouting distance.
"They all looked real good," said Gaston. "They all had some rest and our bullpen needs some rest."
Both teams were missing their centre fielders due to illness. Toronto was without Vernon Wells, who has hit .372 in his last 10 games, while Boston played minus Jacoby Ellsbury, second in the AL with 40 stolen bases.
