Red Sox 3, Indians 2: Clay Buchholz, That Is All

The Red Sox played it close. The Red Sox played it too close, arguably, given that they scored just three runs against Chris Seddon.

Thanks, Cody Ross, for the big two-run shot, by the way.

But they pulled off the win, because Clay Buchholz would allow no other outcome.

Two batters into his night, Buchholz left a fastball high to Asdrubal Cabrera. Cabrera turned on it, and the ball left the park by a fair bit, leaving the Red Sox with a one-run deficit in the first. Familiar story, right?

Well, that was just about the last baserunner Buchholz would allow. He gave up a leadoff double in the fourth--again to Cabrera--but was able to keep him from coming around to score. The Indians picked up a second run only thanks to a pair of errors from the middle infielders in the bottom of the sixth, but by that point Cody Ross had already done his thing in the top of the frame, adding two onto the one run the Red Sox had pushed across earlier for the three they would need on the night.

It was not a pretty game from the offense. Facing another journeyman lefty from the minors, they went quiet for most of the game. But when Clay goes nine innings, striking out six while allowing just two baserunners, you can live with a relatively quiet offensive night.

This was one the Red Sox simply could not lose, and they did not lose. The real question, though, is if it's going to be a good night thanks to Buchholz, or a bad night thanks to Will Middlebrooks. He was hit on the wrist in the ninth, and is headed for X-Rays now. We can only hope we're not in for another blow.