The baton, first picked up by Jonathan Paplebon three years ago and since passed on to Jon Lester, Clay Buchholz and Justin Masterson, was handed to Michael Bowden last night. He knew exactly what to do with it.
Bowden, nine days shy of his 22nd birthday, became the latest in a line of Red Sox pitching prospects who know how to perform on a major league mound as he turned his big league debut into a victory for both him and his team, 8-2, over the White Sox. Bowden, in Double A at the start of the season and in Single A as recently as 2006, seized the moment with a solid five innings during which he allowed two runs on seven hits, with just one walk and three strikeouts. Bowden had no problem finding the strike zone or White Sox bats, but he kept the damage to a minimum, stranding five baserunners. A called strike three on Nick Swisher with runners on second and third with two outs in the fourth was a key moment.
The Red Sox offense was paced by Dustin Pedroia’s second straight 4-for-4 game, with the pesky second baseman batting cleanup in the absence of a sick Kevin Youkilis. Three other fresh faces kept the pressure on White Sox starter Mark Buehrle and a long line of relievers: Mark Kotsay (three RBI), Jason Bay (two RBI) and Lowrie (two RBI).
The Red Sox have now won the first two games of this homestand against the AL Central leaders, and are beginning to get on a roll at exactly the right time, winning eight of their last 11 games. With performances like Bowden’s, stacked up against the strong seasons Lester, Papelbon, Lowrie and Masterson are having, the Red Sox seem as poised as any team to not only reach the playoffs but do some damage there.
Nation Notes: Righthander Clay Buchholz dominated in his second start since his demotion to Double A, allowing two hits in eight innings, walking one, and striking out 10 in the Sea Dogs’ 7-0 victory over New Hampshire.
