Red Sox 3 - 0 Rays
Final
  for this game

Buchholz, Red Sox blank Rays

Sep 1, 2014 - 12:24 AM St. Petersburg, FL (SportsNetwork.com) - Clay Buchholz tossed nine shutout innings to help the Boston Red Sox dispatch the Tampa Bay Rays, 3-0, in the third of a four-game set on Sunday.

Buchholz (6-8) surrendered just three hits with six strikeouts and no walks to break a string of three straight losing decisions for his first win since July 18 against Kansas City.

"I felt good with all my pitches," said Buchholz. "It doesn't always happen that way, but it's fun when it does."

Mookie Betts had two hits, an RBI and a run scored, while Christian Vazquez and David Ortiz each drove in a run for the Red Sox, who bounced back from having just one hit in Saturday's 7-0 loss to the Rays.

Kevin Kiermaier, Matt Joyce, and Jose Molina each had a hit for Tampa Bay, which has dropped three of its last four games.

Alex Cobb (9-7), who entered the game 7-0 in his last 11 starts, lost his first game since June 23 against Pittsburgh. The right-hander gave up two runs -- one earned -- on seven hits and a walk with six strikeouts over 6 1/3 frames.

"You try to battle and go as deep as you can," Cobb said. "When (Buchholz) is on like that, it's tough to scratch across runs."

Xander Bogaerts singled up the middle to lead off the third, moved to third after Cobb's pickoff attempt was off the mark and came home on Vazquez's liner to right.

The Red Sox added to their lead in the fifth. Brock Holt singled to center and stole second before Betts plated him with a base hit to center for a 2-0 lead.

Molina singled to start the sixth for Tampa Bay, but Buchholz struck out the next three batters to keep the Rays off the board.

Boston tacked on another run in the eighth after Ortiz's grounder up the middle brought home Betts, who led off the frame with a double.

Buchholz retired Tampa Bay's final 12 batters to ensure the win.

Game Notes

Buchholz threw his sixth career shutout and eighth complete game ... The Rays have committed errors in eight straight games, their longest streak since May 18-25, 2012 ... Buchholz improved to 8-5 in 17 career starts against Tampa Bay ... The Red Sox ruled Sunday that second baseman Dustin Pedroia will be out of the lineup until he clears the concussion protocol. Pedroia has concussion- like symptoms and left last night's game after taking a hit to the head when Rays second baseman Logan Forsythe tried to elude Pedroia's tag ... Boston has won six of its last nine meetings against Tampa Bay.






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