Clay Buchholz works complete game as Astros fall 6-1

Valbuena’s RBI single not enough

Just a day after the Houston Astros bested the Boston Red Sox in 10 innings, starting pitcher Clay Buchholz responded with a complete game on Independence Day at Fenway Park Saturday afternoon.

On the other side of the fence, Astros pitcher Collin McHugh (9-4, 4.54 ERA) was riding a three-game winning streak entering yesterday’s contest. Things didn’t necessarily go his way as Boston chased him out of the game after 5 1/3 frames of work.

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In his short outing, McHugh surrendered three earned runs on seven hits including three walks and only one strikeout. Houston failed to back him up over the course of the game, but third baseman Luis Valbuena finally put the good guys on the board with an RBI single during the top of the ninth inning in hopes of putting together a rally.

Boston scattered a couple of one’s across four frames in their victory. Xander Bogaerts got things going with an RBI single to right fielder Alex Presley, giving his team the 1-0 advantage.

Mookie Betts followed that up with a sacrifice fly during the second inning, scoring veteran outfielder Shane Victorino to make it 2-0 to back Buchholz.

Bogaerts recorded his second RBI of the game on a double to Preston Tucker to push Brock Holt across to score. Both Bogaerts and Betts were responsible for five of their six runs, combining 4-for-7 with three doubles. 

With the Red Sox (38-45) leading 4-0 in the bottom of the eighth inning, Betts drilled his second RBI double of the game, this time to Colby Rasmus out in center field to make it a five-run ballgame.

Buchholz (7-6, 3.27 ERA) was absolutely lights out, holding the first-place Astros (48-35) to only one earned run on six hits. While McHugh struggled with his command, Buchholz struck out eight batters without issuing a single walk in the contest.

These two teams now find themselves in a rubber match Sunday afternoon as Lance McCullers takes the mound opposite Eduardo Rodriguez.

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