His start against the Braves lowered his career ERA in March & April to 3.70, but he has a 2.96 career ERA in every other month of the regular season. Vizcaino then got a groundout from Bogaerts to end the game and the losing streak.
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RF Nick Markakis had nine of Atlanta’s 30 extra-base hits on the season coming into Wednesday’s game, and his nine doubles tied for the National League lead.
Braves sixth. Peterson walked on four pitches.
Unlike the last two nights, however, the Braves roared right back against Clay Buchholz, throwing up a three-spot on the board in the second.
Boston Beat the Braves 9-4, improving to (12-9), Atlanta fell to (4-17).
Red-hot Dustin Pedroia got the Sox off to a fast start, doubling down the right field line.
With Price on first base following a walk, Castro ran with his back to the infield and reached over his shoulder to catch the ball as he slid on the outfield grass.
Jace Peterson, Erick Aybar and Mallex Smith aren’t household names – they came in batting.205, .147 and. That he did not didn’t change the fact that Buchholz had offered it, and when he did more of that in the second, he was punished in a big way.
ATL 3 BOS 1 – Top 2nd: Buchholz continued to struggle against the anemic Braves offense early in the game, yielding three runs to the bottom of Atlanta’s lineup.
Boston’s Hanley Ramirez had an RBI single in the first inning and drove in another with a double in the third. Veteran right-hander Jhoulys Chacin (1-1) went five-plus innings for his first win as a courageous. With one out in the inning, Bogaerts doubled to center field. (It was, however, marred by a double from lefty-killer Chris Young, which was its own puzzling event of the night.) O’Flaherty’s good effort was followed by Alexi Ogando and Hunter Cervenka, the latter of whom struck out David Ortiz, representing the tying run, in the seventh.
Norris got just four outs, giving up six runs on seven hits. The Red Sox did get their customary first-inning run despite some serious weirdness when Xander Bogaerts was called safe on a neighborhood play at second, thought he was out, and quickly put truth to that by heading for the dugout and getting tagged.
“Those numbers, if you look at some of those names at the catching position that has reached 2,000 hits, it’s a pretty good company”, Gonzalez said. Smith was initially credited with the stolen base, but reversed after a videotape review. While the New York Mets hit the most home runs over that span with 27, the last Braves’ blast prior to Freeman’s came off the bat of veteran outfielder Drew Stubbs. Then there was Travis Shaw. Ad.Garcia grounded out, second baseman Pedroia to first baseman H.Ramirez. A passed ball moved runners to second and third with one out, but Wright escaped.
It was the continuation of a rough April for Buchholz, who is 0-3 with a 6.51 ERA that ranks 99th among 105 pitchers who have logged at least 21 innings, better than only the Astros’ Collin McHugh (6.65), the Blue Jays’ R.A. Dickey (6.75), the Yankees’ Michael Pineda (6.95), the Mariners’ Wade Miley (7.04), the Cardinals’ Adam Wainwright (7.16), the Brewers’ Wily Peralta (7.40) and the Braves’ Bud Norris (8.74).
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As has been the case throughout this recent stretch, one that has seen the Sox win 5-of-6, the team has received contributions all across the diamond.
