Sports Redux: Buchholz + Orioles = Crazy Delicious

Sure, he's not in the starting rotation any more - how do you follow up a no-hitter? But the Sox learned last night that they can lean on Clay Buchholz when they're not strong, putting him out for three solid relief innings that kept Baltimore scoreless and allowed Jason Varitek to drive in the winning run of a tense ballgame.

The Sox had given Tim Wakefield a 5-4 lead, mostly on the 3-run homer by Coco Crisp in the top of the fourth. But Wakefield surrendered the lead on a Markakis double and Tejada single, and got pulled in the bottom of that inning. If Wake's decision streak was to continue, it would be an L.

But Big Papi was quick to turn Wake's outing into a no-decision, homering off Rocky Cherry (!) in the fifth. Tie game. Enter Clay Buchholz in the sixth, who walked Brian Roberts (no!), gave up a hit (!) to Redman, then walked Markakis (no!!!), loading the bases with nobody out and blowing Bostonist's exclamation-mark budget for the third quarter. But Buchholz found his mojo, inducing the ol' 5-2-3 double play off Tejada, then whiffing Kevin Millar to end the threat. Clay handcuffed the Baltimores for two more innings, Jason Varitek pinch-drove in the tiebreaking run in the ninth, and Papelbon sealed the deal.

So it's six and a half. The Yankees are in Kansas City this weekend, and their only wild-card competitors, Seattle and Detroit, are playing one another. Bummer.

The NFL season kicked off last night with a blowout. The Colts dominated the Saints up and down the field for a 41-10 win. In Foxboro, Junior Seau was named the seventh team captain, and the rest of the team took it easy before this weekend's kickoff in New Jersey.