Ortiz, Buchholz Help Sox Top D-Backs

By KC Downey in Featured, Red Sox ⋅ June 16, 2010 at 3:29am ⋅ Post a comment

Clay Buchholz (AP Photo/Winslow Townson)

This may surprise you, but the Red Sox actually played a game on Tuesday night, as they hosted the Arizona Diamondbacks for the first of a three-game series at Fenway Park. Before you get bored…you may actually want to continue reading, as the result on Yawkey Way was not nearly as disappointing as the one in Los Angeles, where the Celtics fell to the Lakers 89-67 in Game 6 of the NBA Finals.

Clay Buchholz struck out eight over 5.2 innings, allowing three runs on seven hits and a walk to earn his ninth win of the season. Buchholz is now tied with New York’s Phil Hughes for second in the American League with nine wins. Tampa’s David Price is first on the list with a 10-2 record.

David Ortiz led the offensive charge for the good guys, finishing 2-4 with a double and his 13th home run, a two-run shot in the first that gave the Sox the lead for good. Dustin Pedroia and Kevin Youkilis both pitched in as well, each finishing with two hits and an RBI.

First baseman Adam LaRoche started against his former club (for 6 games last season), and finished 1-4 with an RBI single.

Sox Stud of the Game: David Ortiz

After a superb May, in which he hit .363 with 10 home runs, Ortiz has fallen on hard times so far in June. Entering Tuesday night’s game, Ortiz was hitting just .191 for the month with one home run. Tuesday’s 2-4 effort with a HR and a double will go some of the way in helping out those June numbers.

Sox Dud of the Game: Daniel Nava

New kid Daniel Nava played in left field and hit leadoff for the first time in his major league career. He responded by going 0-3 with three strikeouts. On the bright side, he drew his first career walk and scored.

Game Notes:

W: Clay Buchholz (9-4)
L: Ian Kennedy (3-4)
SV: Jonathan Papelbon (14)

Bill Hall started at shortstop for Marco Scutaro, who is dealing with a sore neck. Hall finished 0-4 at the plate.
J.D. Drew (2-4) played against younger brother, Arizona SS Stephen Drew (1-4), for the 16th time in his career.
The D-Backs traded Conor Jackson to the A’s for a minor league pitcher before the game.
The Red Sox have long been linked to Arizona catcher Miguel Montero, who started and went 1-4 with a double.
Kevin Youkilis committed his first error of the year when the ball rolled through his legs at first base.
Some people gathered outside Fenway Park before the game to protest the Diamondbacks for Arizona’s new immigration law.