Errors
| Game 118: August 10, 2008 | |||
| Red Sox | 5 | L: Clay Buchholz (2-8) | 67-51, 1 game losing streak |
 White Sox |
6 | W: Gavin Floyd (12-6) H: Matt Thornton (12) H: Octavio Dotel (17) S: Bobby Jenks (24) |
66-51, 1 game winning streak |
| Highlights: The weight of August expectations seems too heavy a burden for Buchholz’s slender shoulders. The rookie hasn’t been able to sustain effectiveness against major league bats multiple times through the lineup. Jerry Remy said that clubs have a book on him and know that he tends to pitch backwards. A pitcher might be able to sneak a yakker by Jim Thome once on the first pitch, but not twice. | |||
At this point it might be better to bring up David Pauley for another go-around or reinsert Justin Masterson back into the rotation. Clay Buchholz simply has not been able to get the job done. Masterson was the most impressive pitcher on the mound yesterday, inclusive of White Sox arms. The lanky sinkerballer struck out five, walked none, and allowed a single to Nick Swisher in his two and two-thirds innings toeing the rubber.
Mike Lowell put his team on the board first with his three-run four-bagger in the first. At the hot corner, however, Lowell proved to be an uncharacteristic liability.
Perhaps he was mesmerized by Juan Uribe’s blond goatee, for both of the Red Sox third baseman’s errors came on balls batted by his counterpart.
In the fourth Lowell played Uribe’s sharp grounder to the side, allowing it to glance off his glove and into left. That misplay didn’t result in a run, but it did the White Sox an extra out and more opportunity to observe Buchholz’s tendencies.
In the bottom of the next inning the White Sox had Paul Konerko at third, Alexei Ramirez at first, and one out. Masterson took the mound in relief of David Aardsma and the infield came in to go over the various iterations of who would cover what given the situation.
Uribe chopped the ball high on the third base side and Lowell jumped to intercept it with his bare hand, knowing that even Konerko could score on such a high ball. As keen as his catch was, his throw to home went awry.
As Boston scraped together two runs in the sixth, that run was the margin of victory. The Rays won their third straight to break their franchise single-season wins record, putting the Red Sox four and half games behind the improbable leaders of the AL East.
