Red Sox coast into playoffs with 12-7 win over Indians
BOSTON (AP) - Clay Buchholz has one week to think about his next
start.
Or, even better, not to think about it.
Manager Terry Francona said Buchholz was still in line to follow
Jon Lester and Josh Beckett in the rotation for the first-round
playoff series against the Los Angeles Angels, even after the Red
Sox right-hander lasted just three innings in a 12-7 victory over
Cleveland on Sunday.
"He shook off Victor (Martinez) too much, and I think he was
just thinking too much," Francona said. "We certainly would have
rather he pitched a gem. He'll have a chance for another good side
session and get him back going in the right direction."
The Red Sox (95-67) will open the playoffs on either Wednesday
or Thursday in Anaheim, Calif. Buchholz would start Game 3 in
Boston on Sunday.
"That's what you want: You want to be able to go out there in a
make-or-break situation," said Buchholz, who has given up 13 runs
in eight innings in his last two starts. "I'd rather it be now
than a week from now. I'll take care of the little things I need to
between now and then."
J.D. Drew homered twice, and Jed Lowrie hit his first career
grand slam in the regular-season finale. Dustin Pedroia and Alex
Gonzalez also homered for Boston and Michael Bowden (1-1) pitched 2
2-3 innings in relief for the win.
Lowrie's homer made it 12-6 in the sixth inning, but it cost
David Ortiz - hitting behind the Boston infielder - his best chance
at reaching 100 RBIs for the sixth time in seven years. Ortiz, who
was batting .185 with one homer and 18 RBIs on June 1, finished
with a .238 average, 28 homers and 99 RBIs for the season.
"It's not how you start, it's how you finish," Ortiz said.
"It's a hard game. Sometimes in bad situations you get to learn
something; I think I learned a lot this year."
The loss was the last in Cleveland for manager Eric Wedge, who
was fired on Wednesday with six games left in the season. The
Indians went 1-5 since then, finishing with a club-record 15
consecutive road losses and 97 in all - seventh-most in club
history and the most since 1991.
"I think everybody handled a tough situation appropriately -
the organization and I think our players under tough
circumstances," said Wedge, who was 561-573. "It's time for
everybody to go home and rest up and see what happens."
Tomo Ohka (1-5) gave up seven runs and six hits and two walks,
striking out four for the Indians.
Buchholz gave up a career-high five homers in his previous
start, and this one started out much in the same way. Luis Valbuena
hit the third pitch over the Green Monster, and the Indians added
five more in the third to make it 6-4 on a bases-loaded walk, a
two-run single by Jhonny Peralta and Andy Marte's two-run double.
But Boston made it 6-5 in the fourth on Drew's solo homer, then
took the lead in the fifth on Pedroia's two-run shot. Drew led off
the sixth with another homer, then Boston loaded the bases with two
outs and Lowrie hit his second homer of the year into the Red Sox
bullpen.
Ortiz, who was on deck at the time, slammed the doughnut off his
bat and walked to the plate to congratulate Lowrie. Then he struck
out to end the inning. He struck out on a check swing with runners
on first and second to end the eighth.
Buchholz gave up six runs and five hits and two walks.
Jacoby Ellsbury stole his 70th base to extend his club record,
and with a .301 average he became the 12th major-leaguer with at
least 70 stolen bases and a .300 batting average.
NOTES: It was Drew's 15th career multihomer game, and his third
of the season. ... Matt LaPorta left the game in the seventh with a
left big toe sprain. ... C Jason Varitek was removed mid-inning for
a defensive replacement, allowing the crowd to give the Red Sox
captain a standing ovation. ... Gonzalez was back in the lineup
after getting hit by a pitch on the hand Friday and sitting out
Saturday's game. ... The Red Sox set a franchise attendance record
of 3,062,699. ... The Red Sox reached 95 wins for the fifth time in
six years. ... Jason Bay did not make an error this season,
becoming the fourth qualifying Red Sox outfielder with a 1.000
fielding percentage (Ellsbury 2008, Carl Yastrzemski 1977 and Ken
Harrelson 1968).