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BALTIMORE -- Takeaways on a night when the Red Sox could safely turn their attention to the postseason after Oakland's loss late Saturday afternoon assured them of the league's best record and home-field advantage throughout the postseason:

* John Farrell, on finishing ahead of the Athletics, and the Fenway Factor in October:

"It's a tribute to the guys in uniform, the way they've come in and competed every day to put ourselves in position to secure home-field advantage. We'd have liked this game to finish up differently, but to know going into the postseason that every series we go into we'll have home-field advantage and playing in front of Fenway fans and how comfortable and successful we've been at home, this is a good thing."

* Jon Lester stiffs media after final regular-season start:

Not what you think. The Sox left-hander had the best of reasons, flying back home to Boston after coming out of the game to be with his wife, Farrah, who's about to give birth to the couple's second child. Who says life can't take a turn for the better after what was easily the worst season of Lester's career in 2012, when he went 9-14 with a 4.82 ERA. The final line on his 2013 regular season: 33 starts, a career-high 213 1/3 innings, 15-8 record, 3.75 ERA, 177 strikeouts and 67 walks. Every significant statistical category was better than the year before: K's per 9 (7.47), walks per 9 (2.8), hits per nine (8.8), home runs per nine (0.8).

Saturday, he was not at his best -- nine hits, including a home run by Brian Roberts, and four runs in five innings -- but he threw 97 pitches and will be well-rested when he goes into next weekend.

"Not as sharp," Farrell said. "Given the way he's righted the ship from a year ago to this year, a very strong season overall."

Farrell continues to hold off on naming his rotation for the postseason. When Alex Speier of WEEI.com asked whether the Lesters planned to name their baby, "Game One Starter," Farrell cracked: "If they do, someone needs to be slapped."

* You can't be a Sox fan without something to worry about:

And the bridge between the starters and closer Koji Uehara remains the obvious choice. Lefty Matt Thornton, on the bubble for an October roster spot, went three up and three down in the sixth, striking out one. Junichi Tazawa then needed just eight pitches to breeze through the heart of the Orioles' order, retiring J.J. Hardy on a fly ball, slugger Chris Davis on a ground ball, and striking out cleanup man Adam Jones.

But then Tazawa came out for the eighth and yielded back-to-back singles to Matt Wieters and Danny Valencia. Maybe, Farrell said afterward, Tazawa is better in one-inning stints at this stage, but because he'd made such fast work of the Orioles in the seventh, the Sox sent him back out to start the eighth.

Franklin Morales came in and overpowered left-handed hitting Nick Markakis, just as he had Colorado's Todd Helton on Wednesday night, with the same result each time: The hitter went down swinging. But then the right-handed hitting DH, Steve Pearce, hit a ball into the corner, where Gomes had a little trouble picking it up, and the Orioles had the lead.

This was only the fifth time in 83 games that the Sox lost after leading through seven innings. That's not a habit you want to develop headed into October.

In the season's second half, setup man Craig Breslow has made 29 appearances, allowing just two earned runs in 26 2/3 innings for an 0.68 ERA.

The rest of the relievers expected to be in the mix for the playoff roster -- Tazawa, Morales, Thornton, Ryan Dempster, Brandon Workman, and Drake Britton -- have a 3.84 ERA in the second half. That's pretty good, but leaves some room to fret.

* Compared to what he did for Chico, he's in a slump:

Daniel Nava went 4-for-4 Saturday night, his sixth career four-hit game and fourth this season, to raise his average to .303 with a game to play, assuring himself of his first .300 season in the big leagues. Nava could go 0-for-5 Sunday and still finish at .300.

The safety zone to finish above .300 is almost as big for Dustin Pedroia, who went 3-for-5 Saturday, his second straight three-hit game, to raise his average to .301. He'd have to go 0-for-4 to drop below .300, to .299. It would be his third season of hitting .300 or better.

Nava, signed out of the independent Golden Baseball League, batted .371 in his last season (2007) for the Chico Outlaws, before his rights were sold for a buck.

What made Saturday's performance stand out was that all four hits came against lefties. Nava is hitting .322 versus right-handers, and his four hits Saturday raised his average against lefties 26 percentage points, from .226 to .252.

"I'm sure he's going to take from this some increased confidence when he faces left-handers," Farrell said. "He's done an outstanding job for us all year, and he's finishing on a high note."

* Overlook Stephen Drew at your own peril:

He doubled and singled and scored two runs Saturday. He tripled and singled and drove in three runs Friday. He is hitting .333 over his past 13 games with eight extra-base hits. He is batting .276 in the season's second half, after batting .233 in the first half, when he was coming back from a concussion and a hamstring issue. He's made eight errors at shortstop all season. He's been underappreciated.

HOUSTON -- Right before “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” began playing in the middle of the seventh inning on Wednesday night, a different tune rang out over the Minute Maid Park speakers.

It was Queen’s “Another One Bites The Dust,” and it was playing because another Boston Red Sox hitter had struck out to end an inning.

To that point, the Red Sox had ended six of seven innings with runners in scoring position.

Missed opportunity stacked upon missed opportunity as the Houston Astros -- the same Astros who have the worst record in baseball -- appeared to be headed for a shocking upending of the Red Sox in the rubber game of the series.

Stephen Drew had other things in mind.

Just two outs shy of a 5-4 loss, Drew crushed an 0-1 curveball deep to right for a go-ahead three-run homer, giving the previously choking Red Sox a wild 7-5 win in Clutch City.

“This team has done it all year,” Drew said. “Everybody has fun, but everybody knows their role. Everybody has been clutch in late innings. This is what good teams do.”

The Red Sox came from behind for the sixth time in their past seven wins, improving to 18-7 in games decided in the last at-bat. With their 70th win in 116 games this year, the Sox eclipsed 2012's season total of 69.

Despite the fact that they were playing the Astros (37-76), the stakes felt high on Wednesday night. For the third straight night, the Red Sox trailed against the Astros; for the second consecutive night, they found a way to win.

“Credit to Houston -- they pushed us to the hilt in this three-game series,” Red Sox manager John Farrell said. “I’m just proud of the way we continued to fight back and show a lot of character and a lot of grit.”

With a fatigued and injured bullpen and a skimpy bench, Farrell pulled out all the stops in this one.

The dugout made a seventh-inning phone call to the bullpen to inquire about a pitcher, except it had nothing to do with needing a mound replacement.

“They called down to the bullpen and said, ‘Hey, do you think Drake [Britton] is faster than David [Ortiz]?” Britton said. “And they said, ‘We think so.’ They asked me, ‘Hey, how fast are you?’ and I said, ‘I don’t know.’”

Knowing Britton was unavailable for work after pitching 2 1/3 innings on Tuesday night, Farrell was looking for the speediest baserunner within arm’s reach. After Brandon Snyder and Mike Napoli had already been used as pinch-hitters in the game, catcher Ryan Lavarnway was the only bench player left.

“It was a big surprise when they called down and told me to get my legs loose,” Britton said. “They said, ‘If David gets on, you need to be ready to pinch-run for him.’ And I said, ‘I’m sorry -- what?’”

The wide-eyed 24-year-old did as instructed, but he was nervous. He hadn’t run the bases in more than six years. The last time he did it was during a high school baseball tournament, which happened to be played at Minute Maid Park.

Britton went to Tomball High School, which is about a half-hour from the stadium.

When Ortiz led off the ninth inning with a single to right, Britton’s name was called. He hurriedly tried to find a helmet, struggled to find one that fit and finally found a match -- one that belonged to Daniel Nava, who was on his last day of paternity leave.

After Matt Carp lined out, Jonny Gomes walked, moving Britton in scoring position.

He said his heart was pounding at the thought of trying to beat out a play at the plate, but he remembered the advice his coaches gave him before he ran onto the field.

“They told me to be smart and don’t do anything stupid,” Britton said.

Britton didn't have to use his instincts or beat out a throw, as Drew made things easy with his towering home run.

Britton didn’t seem to mind.

“It was awesome, especially because he hit a home run, and I got to trot around the bases,” Britton said.

For the Red Sox, it was a happy ending to a game loaded with frustration.

Shane Victorino’s ejection in the top of the seventh inning was the tipping point before the Red Sox decided to climb out of the 5-2 deficit and work their magic.

Victorino declined to comment on the ejection.

“Shane obviously had a little bit of a different opinion,” Farrell said. “We had many opportunities and seemingly couldn’t get that two-out hit.”

Farrell said starter Ryan Dempster was “crisp,” as he went six innings, allowing five runs and seven hits, while striking out seven. Reliever Junichi Tazawa earned the victory after pitching two hitless innings, while striking out two.

Koji Uehara picked up his 11th save by striking out three in the ninth, while allowing one hit.

Ortiz reached base safely in 10 straight plate appearances, from his third plate appearance on Friday through his third on Wednesday night. Over that span, Ortiz went 8-for-8 with eight singles and two walks. He lined out to first in the seventh and finished 4-for-5 with his ninth-inning single.

“Hey, that ain’t bad, huh?” Ortiz said with a wide grin.

BOSTON -- In 2012, August was the month when the Red Sox's season went into the toilet. In a hurry.

Few will remember that Bobby's Bashers won the final four games of July to get above .500 and were just a few games out of a wild-card spot when the calendar turned. Sure, the team was springing leaks and at each other's throats, but on the surface it looked like a unit with a pulse.

Then came a 9-20 August, which was followed up by a 7-19 September that was about as painful, for very different reasons, as the previous September.

There is absolutely nothing to indicate this current version is headed toward any kind of late-season swoon. The character the 2013 Red Sox have shown, as in Wednesday's 15-inning victory over the Seattle Mariners, simply won't allow for it.

"I've played on teams when [the other team] ties it up late and it's just like the air [goes] out of your sails right away," said left fielder Jonny Gomes, who factored heavily in the 5-4 outcome. "Not on this team."

Here are 10 takeaways from the game that put Boston in first place on Aug. 1:

* Gomes did not enter the game until he pinch hit for Daniel Nava in the 13th. Gomes was the third left fielder of the game for the Sox, and he made the defensive play of the contest in the 15th to stifle a Mariners' scoring chance, nabbing a sinking liner to left with two runners on and then carrying the ball all the way in to second base to double off Raul Ibanez, who had already rounded third and never even tried to retreat.

It was the old 7-unassisted double play, and Gomes was pretty proud of himself for accomplishing a first.

"With [Michael] Saunders up and [Drake] Britton [pitching], he has some velocity and that good slider. ... I was pretty sure a ball would come my way," Gomes said of his mindset after Seattle got runners to first and second with one out. "When he got to two strikes, thought he was kind of, just try to bloop one in. He got a fastball and it stayed up long enough and like I said, do or die."

Gomes could have thrown the ball in to double off Ibanez immediately. Instead, he glanced at the Mariners' runner, tucked the ball away and jogged to second base to end the inning.

"As a fan of the game, history of the game, a numbers guy, it definitely was on purpose," he joked about recording the play unassisted. "I've been waiting years to do that.

"Never had one, never seen one, that's why I was happy to get one on my resume."

* Without Gomes' play, Stephen Drew's heroics might not have come to fruition. Drew stepped up with the bases loaded and two outs in the bottom of the 15th and worked the count to 2-1 before lining a shot that found dirt just inside the right-field foul line to win the game.

Within seconds, teammates had ripped the jersey off Drew's back in a scene that has become all-too-familiar at Fenway Park this year.

"It's huge. It's just huge to get a win out of this type of a game," said Drew, who added that he knew the ball was going to land fair the moment he hit it.

* Boston leads the majors in walk-off wins with 10, which is the club's most in a season since 1996 (also 10) and is tied for the organization's most before August, matching the 1918 and 1930 clubs. It was the team's longest game since a 17-inning contest against Baltimore on May 6, 2012.

* In a game that featured 89 outs, 28 hits, 10 walks, 26 strikeouts and 448 pitches thrown by 12 pitchers, many plays can be forgotten. It's important to remember one from the top of the 11th, also executed by Drew.

With a man on first and one out, Michael Morse hit a chopper behind the mound. Drew charged and fielded and had momentum and loads of opportunity to get the second out at first base. To the surprise of many on hand, he flipped the ball almost behind him to Dustin Pedroia at second base to get a close out there. Jerry Meals, the umpire at the center of Monday night's controversy, made the call, much to the chagrin of Seattle's bench.

It was a calculated risk that Drew was willing to take.

"Right when I grabbed it, my thought is, 'go ahead and get him out [because] even with two outs a single scores him,'" Drew said. "I think Saunders was coming up and believe it or not, he got a hit after that, so it worked out. Close play but he was still out."

* Prior to Drew's walk-off hit, Boston's best chance to score the game-winner came in the 14th, when Brandon Snyder snapped seven innings of hitless ball for the Sox with a leadoff double. He moved to third on a sacrifice bunt and tried to dash home on Shane Victorino's fly to center, but was cut down easily at the plate on a great throw by Saunders.

Unlike the controversial play at the plate involving Nava on Monday, this one was cut-and-dry.

"In that situation he didn't give me a choice," Snyder said, referencing whether he should have slid or tried to run over catcher Humberto Quintero. "The ball beat me."

By a lot.

* Somewhat forgotten was another solid outing by John Lackey, who allowed three runs in seven innings. It was Lackey's team-leading 13th quality start and the 15th time in 19 starts that he has surrendered three earned runs or less.

Lackey got his fair share of boos in 2011 as he contributed to the team-wide collapse, but he has turned Fenway Park into a comfort zone, posting a 2.15 ERA in eight home starts in 2013.

* Junichi Tazawa's recent struggles continued when he served up a game-tying solo homer to Kyle Seager in the eighth, but the bullpen was marvelous from that point on. Koji Uehara threw 17 of his 19 pitches for strikes in two perfect innings, and both Matt Thornton and Craig Breslow wiggled out of some jams before Drake Britton threw two scoreless frames to pick up his first career win.

Britton has thrown eight scoreless innings since joining the Red Sox.

"What Koji, Bres, Drake Britton and certainly Matt Thornton did, just an outstanding job on their part," manager John Farrell said.

* On the heels of a slump that qualified as a pretty severe one by his standards, Pedroia has now recorded three RBIs in consecutive games for the first time in his career. His leadoff walk in the 15th ignited the game-winning rally, and the moment he took ball four the energy level in Fenway increased greatly.

"We somehow find some energy late in the game," Farrell said. "It's been many different guys that have been the reason for the walk-off. I can tell you, the conversation each time we're at the plate in extra innings, we're looking for something to draw energy from to make one last push and we were able to do that here again tonight."

Pedroia was eventually able to stroll home with the winning run.

* With Jake Peavy arriving Thursday and the bullpen pretty worn out, moves are forthcoming. Brandon Workman is in the bullpen now but not available until Saturday. Britton threw 35 pitches, Breslow 30 and Uehara two innings.

"We've got some moves to make," Farrell said. "The need for multi-innings [in the bullpen]. Peavy's arrival. We've got a couple of decisions we've got to make here tonight."

Those will all be announced Thursday afternoon when the Sox and Mariners prepare for their season and series finale. It'll be the first game in August, which has the look of a much more pleasant one for the Red Sox than 2012.

BOSTON -- With a one-run lead and the tying run at second in the seventh inning of Tuesday night’s game, Red Sox manager John Farrell turned to right-hander Junichi Tazawa to face the top of the Tampa Bay Rays lineup.

Tazawa didn’t disappoint.

The 27-year-old was able to get out of the inning by blowing away Desmond Jennings on three 93 mph fastballs before returning for a dominant eighth inning that saw the Japanese reliever strike out Ben Zobrist and Evan Longoria. Catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia was impressed.

“That’s the biggest inning of the game right there,” Saltalamacchia said. “You’re going through the meat of their lineup, guys have been swinging the bat, a couple of guys [Longoria and rookie Wil Myers] had hit homers. I put my glove down and away, and he hit it right on the spot.”

It was an important outing for Tazawa, who was able to get through an inning without allowing a baserunner for the first time since July 3. Tazawa credited advice from his teammates, mainly countryman Koji Uehara, for his success.

“It’s my first season that I’ve pitched from the beginning and there was a lot of games that I pitched,” Tazawa said. “I was sort of mentally worn down and Koji and all the others gave me some advice and it worked wonders for me.”

The All-Star break also helped as Tazawa used the time to relax and meet Uehara for dinner on a couple of occasions. The Red Sox closer showed Tazawa how he gripped his splitter and positioned his arm, advice that Tazawa said he wasn’t able to put into use until Tuesday.

Tazawa said Uehara has given him advice before “but in the past I was a little bit mentally worn down,” he said. “I wasn’t able to apply that to practical purposes, but today I was able to do that.”

Heading into the All-Star break, Tazawa had allowed four runs in his last six appearances, a span that saw his ERA rise above 3.00 for the first time since May 11. Manager John Farrell believes that a change in the right-hander’s mental approach has been the key for Tazawa to get back on track.

“It’s just been more with an aggressive attack mode rather than trying to be a little bit too fine,” Farrell said. “I think he got in a little bit of a bad habit to be a little bit tentative. Over the past two or three outings, it’s been more of just trust your stuff and be aggressive and we’re seeing the velocity come back.”

Despite the change of pace, Tazawa insists that confidence has not been an issue at any point this season. In a situation like the one he was thrown into Tuesday night, the right-hander said he appreciated the opportunity to show what he’s made of.

“I’m just gratified that the manager has been using me in that kind of position,” he said.

BOSTON -- Et tu, Koji?

Bidding for his fourth save in five days Sunday afternoon, Koji Uehara was only two outs away from completing that mission when right-fielder Shane Victorino made a sliding catch of Jose Reyes' liner on the right-field line.

But that thought perished when the next batter, Jose Bautista, crushed a ball off the Sports Authority sign, tying the score at 4-4 and adding Uehara's name to the list of Sox relievers who have been taken deep, a familiar scene in the past couple of weeks.

It was the eighth home run allowed by a Sox reliever in the past 15 games. Andrew Bailey gave up four in that span and lost the closer's job; Junichi Tazawa has given up two, including a two-run home run to Bautista that broke a 2-all tie Saturday. Franklin Morales has given up one, and on Sunday, Uehara gave up his first home run since Domonic Brown of the Phillies took him deep on May 29 in Philadelphia.

Four of the home runs have resulted in blown saves. Four -- three allowed by Bailey, and Sunday's off Uehara -- have come in the ninth inning. The two allowed by Tazawa have been in the eighth inning.

Bautista's home run Sunday resulted in a blown save for Uehara, but he emerged a winner when the Sox scored in the bottom of the ninth. He was the first to reach Shane Victorino at first base for the celebration of Boston's seventh walk-off win this season.

"I was relieved that we got the win," Uehara said, "but I was angry that I lost the win for [Ryan] Dempster."

Uehara has been above reproach all month. He had been scored upon in just one of his 15 appearances this month, posting a 1.50 ERA while striking out 19 batters and walking three in 12 innings. Opposing hitters were batting just .077, as he had allowed just three hits to the 43 batters he'd faced before Sunday. He'd been perfect in his three saves last week, retiring all nine batters he'd faced while striking out six.

But it was just the first time all season he'd pitched on three straight days, and he admitted to being fatigued after Friday night.

Still tired Sunday?

"It was better, of course," Uehara said through translator C.J. Matsumoto. "I can't say it was completely gone. For me, a break is not coming to the ballpark."

The Sox are not scheduled to play Monday. "Tomorrow, a day off," Uehara said in English, smiling broadly.

Manager John Farrell was asked about the recent spate of homers.

"We've given up a number of them," he said. "We have fly-ball pitchers in our bullpen, and in this ballpark it can be risky. But we can't ask guys to change their style or be something that they aren't.

"We might not be a perfect team, but we sit at the top of the division right now. We know where our challenges lie and we're doing what we can to improve in every way that we can."

Said Victorino: "We're down to our fourth or fifth closer," he said. "Name me one team that can go through three or four closers and be where we are. You sit and look at that and you go, 'Wow.'"

BOSTON -- There was a time, not long ago, when you figured about the only way the names of John Lackey and Pedro Martinez would appear in the same sentence is if they got in a fender bender on one of Martinez's infrequent visits to the ballpark.

Not like this: Lackey striking out 12, matching his career high, while walking none in Boston's 5-3 win over the Colorado Rockies, a performance that put Lackey in the company of Pedro and a select few other Sox pitchers.

Lackey became just the sixth Sox pitcher since at least 1916 to strike out at least a dozen batters while issuing no walks. Martinez did it 10 times and Roger Clemens six, a list that includes Clemens's 20-K performance against the Tigers in 1996.

The other Sox pitchers to accomplish the feat were Hideo Nomo, Bruce Hurst and Jim Lonborg.

Lackey also became the seventh pitcher in the big leagues this season to have a 12-K-plus, no-walk game. The last was Eric Stults of the Padres on May 29.

Lackey's importance to the staff has become magnified since Clay Buchholz went on the shelf with injuries to his AC joint and neck, and he has stepped up in a big way. In his past eight starts dating to May 19, Lackey is 4-1 with an earned run average of 2.44. In his dozen starts overall, he has allowed more than three earned runs just twice.

He gave up a run in the first on a broken-bat dribbler by Carlos Gonzalez, stolen base and single by Wilin Rosario, and another in the sixth on a home run by Michael Cuddyer, who also homered off reliever Junichi Tazawa in the eighth.

The Sox, as they did in Tuesday's 11-4 win over the Rockies, jumped on a Colorado starter early, scoring all five runs by the time Roy Oswalt recorded the first out in the third, Daniel Nava's sacrifice fly.

Jacoby Ellsbury doubled for the fifth straight game to open the first and scored on Shane Victorino's single, one of three hits by the Sox right fielder. David Ortiz doubled him home and scored on Daniel Nava's base hit off the second base bag.

Singles by Victorino, Dustin Pedroia, Mike Napoli and Nava's sacrifice fly made it 5-1 in the third.

Jose Iglesias's streak of reaching base in 27 games with a plate appearance ended Thursday as he went hitless in four trips.

Koji Uehara recorded the save in his first opportunity since being named closer.

BOSTON -- Since being named closer earlier this week in the wake of another injury to Joel Hanrahan, Boston Red Sox reliever Junichi Tazawa has yet to face the real pressure of closing out a win, throwing just twice in non-save situations.

That doesn't exclude him from the scrutiny of the masses, especially after serving up a tiebreaking homer in the top of the ninth inning of Boston's 3-2 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays on Saturday.

Tazawa, whose first month was impressive enough to vault him into the closer's role when Hanrahan and Andrew Bailey were hurt, has given up four runs in 4 2/3 innings over his past six outings. It is a small sample, but quite notable, since it comes at a time when the team is scrambling to plug gaps at the back end of the bullpen.

"I still have my confidence, but I feel that I was given the chance to succeed, so I feel bad about it," Tazawa said through an interpreter in the minutes after Adam Lind crushed a 2-2 slider over the wall in center for the decisive blow. "But I still have my confidence."

So, too, do those who saw Tazawa go 2-0 with a 0.93 ERA while walking none in his first 9 2/3 innings out of the bullpen.

"It was a pitch he didn't execute, and he paid for it," catcher David Ross said. "That's a major league baseball game. We've got to execute pitches. It's one of those things that happens here and there, and Taz has been doing a great job for us.

"He's one of the best. That's why they chose to put him in the closer role while the guys are out. Just one of those things."

Red Sox manager John Farrell said he has seen nothing to indicate alarm with Tazawa. The stuff is still there, as is the power, Farrell said.

"Location is going to be the key in any situation," said Farrell, citing not only the hanging slider to Lind, but a poorly placed fastball that Jays first baseman Edwin Encarnacion took out April 30 in Toronto.

While working in what became a 15-8 loss to the Minnesota Twins on Wednesday, Tazawa's effectiveness was not a significant concern as it relates to wins and losses. That game was largely in the bag. While not a save situation, pitching in a tie game carries with it much more significance. Lind's blast and Brett Lawrie's hard single to right made for a less-than-ideal response from Tazawa, and if not for a caught stealing on Lawrie, the inning might have dragged on a bit more.

With that first save opportunity looming, Tazawa remains steadfast that the slightly brighter lights have not had an effect.

"I didn't feel additional pressure," he said.

BOSTON -- Buried beneath everything that has gone into the Toronto Blue Jays' misery is the life and times of Adam Lind, an extremely talented batter who has fallen off in a big way in the last two years. If he could ever rediscover the form he had in 2009 (.305, 35 homers, 114 RBIs), this Blue Jays lineup would take on a very different look.

While Toronto managed just three runs Saturday, Lind showed he still has the ability to carry the order from time to time, going 3-for-4 with the tiebreaking home run in the top of the ninth inning off Red Sox closer (for now) Junichi Tazawa, keying a 3-2 win over Boston. It is the seventh loss in nine games for the Sox.

Boston rallied for two runs in the bottom of the eighth after Jays manager John Gibbons elected to yank starter Mark Buehrle, but Tazawa's sixth pitch to Lind to begin the ninth was a slider that didn't, well, slide, and Lind hammered it into the bleachers in center, setting up a rubber game Sunday afternoon at Fenway Park.

Tazawa's troubles: In the end, the bullpens disappointed after Buehrle and Clay Buchholz put forth a solid duel. On the day the Red Sox learned that onetime closer Joel Hanrahan will have season-ending surgery and closer No. 2 Andrew Bailey was still days away from returning to the mound, Tazawa's performance put more questions on the back end of the Boston bullpen.

A marvel of efficiency earlier this season, Tazawa has given up four runs in his last 4 2/3 innings. It may simply be a quick market correction for a guy who has outstanding stuff, but the fact that Tazawa has been scored upon in his first two outings since being named the new closer -- albeit both in non-save situations -- speaks to the uncertainty of the ninth inning.

That's why they play the games: Strictly from a numbers standpoint, the meeting between Buchholz and Buehrle was a complete mismatch. Buchholz entered with a 2.42 ERA in his career against the Blue Jays. The Toronto starters were a combined 24-for-130 (.185) against him. He absolutely dominated the Jays in the Rogers Centre on May 1 en route to a 6-0 start.

Meanwhile, Buehrle was winless with a 5.50 ERA in his last six starts against Boston and had a 5.60 mark in his career at Fenway Park. He entered with a 7.02 ERA this season, and the Red Sox starting lineup was 55-for-159 (.346) against Buehrle. The lefty was thoroughly outpitched by Buchholz 10 days ago.

Then the game began. While Buchholz was good, he was not quite on par with Buehrle, who stymied the dormant Boston bats, leaving with a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the eighth. Buehrle allowed five hits and struck out five, retiring 13 straight at one point.

We'll make up for it: A rain delay of 51 minutes before the first pitch lengthened the afternoon, but Buchholz and Buehrle more than made up for it. Buehrle is widely recognized as one of the fastest workers in the game, and Buchholz has made efforts to pick up the pace quite a bit this year. Throw in some efficient outs early on and the two were able to turn what could have been a long afternoon into a rather tidy one.

The game lasted two hours, 42 minutes, tied for the fourth-shortest Red Sox game of the year.

Where's the offense? Aside from eight runs in a blowout loss to Minnesota on Wednesday, the Sox's attack has been quiet. While attention has been given to David Ortiz's recent slide and Mike Napoli's swoon, the struggles of Jacoby Ellsbury have been just as severe.

Entering his at-bat in the bottom of the eighth, Ellsbury was in a 3-for-29 stretch. He had just one extra-base hit in his last 14 games, had scored only one run in May and had one steal, while being caught stealing twice, in a span of 13 contests.

Then came an absolute bomb on the second pitch of Darren Oliver's appearance that resulted in an RBI triple for Ellsbury. There was a quick thought that the big hit could serve as a catalyst for the breakout everyone seems to be waiting for. Then came a first-pitch tapper to the mound to end the game with the tying run on second. Back to the drawing board for one of Boston's struggling stars.

Get away from me! When Will Middlebrooks and David Ross pass by each other, they must flinch. The two seem to have a knack for meeting up. Four days after they pounded into each other chasing a foul popup, the two nearly came together on a Munenori Kawasaki bunt in the third. The result was a pretty nice play on both ends.

The ball rolled off Kawasaki's bat and just to the left of the mound. As Middlebrooks charged hard, Ross circled around the ball preparing to scoop and fire to first. When Ross grabbed the ball, Middlebrooks was right on him and had to go into a slide to avoid losing his noggin on the throw to first.

The two shared a few words after the out, likely planning for the next encounter.

Early efficiency: This is nothing more than one of those quirky things that baseball often produces, but here goes. On Wednesday, Allen Webster and Felix Doubront combined to face 19 hitters in the first two innings against Minnesota. John Lackey, Jon Lester and Buchholz have combined to face the minimum of 18 hitters in the first two frames since.

Sunday is big: Mother's Day brings with it a small dose of urgency for the Sox to snap out of their funk. After a day off Monday, Boston begins a stretch of 20 games in 20 days with just six of those games at home. One cannot discount the value of taking a little momentum into such a span.

Rhode Island Strong: While celebrating Rhode Island Day at the park, the Red Sox continued their emotional tributes to victims of the Boston Marathon bombings by honoring Heather Abbott, a native of the Ocean State who lost a leg in the tragic events. David Ortiz said hello to Heather before the pitch, Jarrod Saltalamacchia caught it, and the crowd rose as one in appreciation of her bravery and spirit.

BOSTON -- Junichi Tazawa did not break out of character when Red Sox manager John Farrell informed him he would be the closer for the foreseeable future.

"He responded as he has to most everything," Farrell said Tuesday. "Very stoic. He kind of anticipated it somewhat and much like he pitches, [he was] very much under control. He's all business, and he's no different in this situation."

Tazawa, 26, saved four games for Triple-A Pawtucket and one for the Sox in 2012, but this is the first time he has been ordained closer in the big leagues, even if it may be a short-lived assignment; Andrew Bailey is eligible to come off the disabled list next Tuesday.

He was just as reserved with reporters as Farrell described him. When it was mentioned to him that Bailey said every reliever wants to close, Tazawa played it straight.

"I had always concentrated on the task at hand," he said through interpreter CJ Matsumoto. “That has been my mindset from the beginning. Those players have gone down, so I guess it’s a chance, but I will focus on what’s at hand."

Tazawa has made 16 appearances this season, tied for second in the AL, and has been scored upon in just three of them. Opposing batters are hitting .216 overall against him, with lefties batting just .188 (6 for 32). He has 18 strikeouts and 3 walks in 14 1/3 innings.

“The one thing he does so well when we brought him into tight spots, he understood the task at hand," Farrell said. “He’s able to channel the adrenaline internally the right way. You don’t see him outwardly bailing from a challenge or running from contact. He’s a believer in his abilities, and we’re looking forward to that playing out in the ninth inning."

Farrell could have opted for a more experienced closer in Koji Uehara, who saved 13 games for the Orioles in 2010 and 32 for Japan’s Yomuiri Giants in 2007. There were a couple of reasons he offered for why he didn’t. One was his preference for avoiding using Uehara in back-to-back games.

The other was that he believes the team is better served with Uehara remaining in the setup role he is currently occupying.

"Koji’s done an excellent job in that seventh, eighth inning for us," Farrell said. "With the addition of Craig Breslow in that mix, I feel like we've gotten more options to match up in that bridge to Junichi as a closer, and I like the fact that Junichi's got power to his pitch mix.

"He's been effective against lefties and righties as well. I think the late-inning guys we have here do a very good job of controlling the running game. All things considered, Junichi is the choice."

With both of his relievers with closer’s experience on the shelf -- Andrew Bailey on the DL with biceps inflammation and Joel Hanrahan going down Monday night with a forearm strain, manager John Farrell said Tuesday the Boston Red Sox will go with right-hander Junichi Tazawa in closing situations for now.

"I think what we’d love to do is close [Junichi] Tazawa, Farrell said on MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM on Tuesday. “We’d keep Koji [Uehara] in that eighth inning role that he’s been in. We just got [Craig] Breslow back to us yesterday and before the game we put Bailey on the disabled list who had done a great job in the closing role as well.

"So fortunately we do have some depth to turn to internally and we know that we’ve got to get through these next couple of days to kinda regroup, because [we had] a couple of extra-inning games, we were in some tight games down in Texas, we have a starter check out early in the game where we’ve had to use the bullpen. So we’re kind of breathing a little thin ice down there right now and just trying to manage the best we can to get through these next couple of days to regroup.”

Hanrahan left the game in the middle of the ninth inning with tightness in his forearm, but not blowing his second save of the season and allowing the Twins to score the tying run. Farrell said early indications on the injury to Hanrahan, who also missed time earlier this season with a strained hamstring, were positive.

“I think the biggest thing is anytime a pitcher walks off the mound it’s not a good thing. I do know this, in conversations with him on the mound and then after the game, it wasn’t like there was a popping sensation, “Farrell said. “It’s more in the belly of the muscle rather than on the inside or the medial side of the elbow. So those initial signs are on the positive side. But still, you see a guy walk off the mound in the middle of an at-bat, we’re hopeful and staying optimistic as we can.”

Catcher David Ross was less optimistic in an interview on the same radio program.

“There definitely was concern. Definitely had some ice on it when I went in,” Ross said. “You know, I don’t like to ask, ‘Are you all right?’ because obviously he’s not all right. I think, you know, that he was just like, man, it just didn’t feel right. His forearm was actually really tight. I think it was in the belly of his forearm. It was kind of swollen already so that scares me a little bit for him. I think they are going to wait and see what the doctors say. I’m sure they are going to get him an MRI or some more tests today when some of that swelling gets out of there.”

Tazawa is 2-1 with a 2.51 ERA in 16 games with the Red Sox this season in late-inning setup role. In three career save opportunities, he has just one conversion. So why not give the job to righty Koji Uehara, who had 13 saves with the Baltimore Orioles in 2010?

“Well, the one thing I like about Koji is, typically, if you’re going to get those pinch hit left-handers in the eighth inning, he’s so effective against lefties,” Farrell explained. “And you can point to a few guys around the league that are right-handers that are so effective against lefties, and Peralta down in Tampa is another one, Koji is obviously one for us. I think that’s where you might get a little bit of that gamesmanship or the matchup capability in that eighth inning. Both of them are very good strike throwers. They have very good command of their fastball, they’ve got a good secondary pitch, they control the running game, both of them, very effectively.

"Tazawa has a little bit more fastball which, whether I’m siding to the traditional approach with a little bit more power late in the game, that’s there. So, right now that’s the initial approach that we’d take to closing things out.”

Lefties are hitting .143 (4 for 28) against Uehara this season.

BOSTON -- Red Sox closer Andrew Bailey said he has heard from a number of former Oakland teammates raving about Jonny Gomes, the outfielder whose signing by the Sox was made official Saturday.

"From the first day of spring training [in Oakland], he came in and said this team reminded him of the 2008 Rays and kept the positive message throughout," Bailey said. "Guys told me I'm going to love him. I'm really looking forward to playing with him."

Bailey, limited by injuries to just 15 1/3 innings last season, said he plans to come to camp assuming that he is the team's closer.

"I think I have to," he said. "Right now I would think I'm the only guy in that role. They traded for me for a reason. Last year was very frustrating on a lot of counts. Even when I was healthy, I didn't do my job to my full expectations or the organization's expectations. I'm taking that into my offseason workout, knowing that I've got to hammer down games for this organization and this team and we've got to get to the playoffs.

"That's where my mindset is, and anything else happens, I'm just looking forward to throwing a lot of innings this year. My performance last year, I'll be the first to say wasn't who I was and wasn't anything I was proud of. This year I'm going to go out and do my job. I'm looking forward from Day 1 to the end of the World Series pitching for this organization."

Bailey said he has gotten positive feedback from Sox teammates about the hiring of John Farrell.

"I think it's great," he said. "Everything is headed in the direction the front office wants it to, and the history with Farrell is great for this team. I was talking with some of the guys this offseason and they're excited about it. I think the relationships are already kind of built in that regard. The newer guys, myself included, that's a good thing going into camp that a lot of the veteran guys, a lot of the core guys who have been here, already have those foundations set."

Bailey said he plans to begin some light throwing next week, with the idea of throwing off a mound after the first of the year and being in Fort Myers Feb. 1. His primary goal, he said, is to remain healthy, a goal that has proven elusive, a freak thumb injury in spring training last season sidelining him for months.

"For me, that's always been an issue, health," he said. "And this year I've got to prove I can stay healthy for a full season. I need to for myself and the organization. They traded for me for a reason, and there's no doubt in my mind I can do what they want me to."

Bailey had his own rave, for reliever Junichi Tazawa.

"Him mentally just handling the ups and downs between Triple-A and big leagues was very impressive," Bailey said. "And obviously, coming up here and doing what he did is just icing on the cake. He has a big bright future ahead of him. I loved having him in the bullpen. He's a funny guy. Anyone with that kind of stuff deserves an opportunity."

Bailey, who is arbitration-eligible, said there have been no discussions yet regarding his contract. He was paid $3.9 million last season and probably can expect only a slight raise in his second year of eligibility.

On each weekday until baseball’s GM meetings Nov. 7, we will spotlight one key decision the Red Sox need to make this offseason that will help determine the success or failure of the 2013 team.

Today’s topic: How do the Red Sox improve their starting rotation?

Red Sox starters ranked 27th in major league baseball with a 5.19 ERA, with only the Indians, Twins and Rockies worse, three teams that lost even more games than the Sox in 2012. Franklin Morales was the only Boston starter with a sub-4.50 ERA, and he made just nine starts.

Defining the decision: Do the Sox have the pieces internally to improve or are big changes needed?

The Sox already have made one change, and it is a significant one, bringing back former pitching coach John Farrell as the team’s manager. When the Red Sox won the World Series in 2007, Farrell’s first season as pitching coach, they had the fourth best ERA in baseball, 4.21, and a year later lowered that to 4.02, eighth best. That ERA was 4.17 in Farrell’s last season, 2010.

On the day he was introduced as Sox manager, Farrell insisted that the team has a strong core to build around in Jon Lester, Clay Buchholz, Felix Doubront and John Lackey, who will be returning next season after missing the 2012 season with Tommy John reconstructive elbow surgery. Skeptics abound, especially with Lester coming off the worst season of his big-league career and Lackey having shown little in his first two seasons in a Boston uniform, though it’s possible he has never been healthy here. Lackey looked to be in very good shape by the end of the summer, though, and impressed the Sox with his throwing sessions.

Lester and Buchholz are healthy, Doubront made impressive strides in his first full season in the big leagues, and Lester already has expressed great enthusiasm at being reunited with Farrell, who he credits for molding him during his successful run as one of the most consistent left-handers in the American League.

Still, the Sox will need much more than these four going forward, a fact recognized by both GM Ben Cherington and Farrell when they spoke of acquiring additional pieces.

Option A: Add from within

The Sox could promote Franklin Morales and Alfredo Aceves to full-time starters, convert Junichi Tazawa from reliever to starter, and give long looks to the two pitchers who came in the Dodgers megadeal, Allen Webster and Rubby de la Rosa.

Morales was brought along slowly in spring training because of shoulder weakness, then was shut down for the season’s final five weeks with a “tired” shoulder, so he comes with questions heading into next season.

On performance alone, Aceves probably should have won a starting job coming out of camp, but Daniel Bard got the nod and when Andrew Bailey went down, Aceves became the closer. He also clashed openly with manager Bobby Valentine and was suspended, leading to suggestions he would be persona non grata going forward. That doesn’t appear to be the case. Aceves’ versatility still holds great appeal to the Sox, and Farrell appears on board with the notion of keeping him. But because of his ability to pitch multiple innings out of the 'pen, the Sox may be inclined to keep him there.

The most intriguing candidate may be Tazawa, who returned from Tommy John surgery to make a sensational impact on the bullpen, posting a 1.43 ERA while striking out 45 and walking just five in 44 innings. Of the last 46 batters he faced over a span of 15 appearances, Tazawa allowed just four to reach, on three hits and a walk. He allowed just one home run all season, to Adrian Beltre of the Rangers.

Tazawa, 26, has all the makings of a dominant setup man/potential closer. But he began his career with the Sox as a starter and has a three-pitch mix (fastball, splitter, slider) that would lend itself to returning in that role, although he questioned whether he has enough arm strength to maintain his velocity as a starter.

What the Sox do with Tazawa may be impacted by their plans for de la Rosa, who touched 100 miles an hour before undergoing Tommy John surgery last year. De la Rosa’s velocity appeared back upon his return to the Dodgers, but there is some debate over whether his future is as a starter or closer type.

The other pitcher acquired from the Dodgers is Webster, who probably needs more time in the minors but like homegrown prospect Matt Barnes figures to help the Sox by 2014 at the latest, if not by the end of next season.

Option B: Look for help in the free-agent market and through trades

The Red Sox are not expected to be players for the high-end starters on the free-agent market, which include Zack Greinke, Anibal Sanchez, Kyle Lohse, Jake Peavy and Edwin Jackson. Dan Haren and Ervin Santana could join that list if the Angels don’t exercise their options. All are expected to command multiyear deals beyond what the Red Sox are willing to give, though Sanchez, who originally belonged to the Sox before being part of the trade with the Marlins that brought back Josh Beckett and Mike Lowell, might be tempting.

The Sox would prefer to acquire pitchers that would require a shorter-term commitment, and thus may be more active on the lower end of the free-agent market. That could mean pitchers such as Francisco Liriano (elbow issues), Brandon McCarthy (shoulder), Jeremy Guthrie or Carlos Villanueva (who Farrell knows from Toronto).

The Sox also will look into the trade market while not wanting to part with top prospects. Matt Garza, Wandy Rodriguez, Josh Johnson, Paul Maholm and Mark Buehrle could be names worth exploring.

Long shot: Lee or Lincecum

Cliff Lee or Tim Lincecum? Both are in the $20-million-plus range, Lee for three more seasons, Lincecum for one more before becoming a free agent. Neither the Phillies nor Giants are likely to move Lee or Lincecum, respectively, but they’re both worth asking about.

Your turn: What's the best option for the Red Sox?

We’ve outlined the possibilities, now tell us what you would do if you were in Ben’s shoes. Vote in the poll above and leave your more detailed thoughts in the comments section.

BOSTON -- The Red Sox have placed outfielder Daniel Nava on the 15-day disabled list and recalled a trio of players from Pawtucket to fill the vacated roster spots created by the blockbuster trade with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Shortstop Jose Iglesias, outfielder Che-Hsuan Lin and pitcher Junichi Tazawa are back up with the big club. Lefty Felix Doubront has also been activated from the DL and will start Sunday against Kansas City.

The influx of players account for the departures of Josh Beckett, Adrian Gonzalez and Nick Punto, all sent to Los Angeles in the trade that also featured the injured Carl Crawford. Iglesias, still considered the shortstop of the future, is the most notable arrival, but he comes on more of an emergency basis this time.

"He's here kind of because we needed an extra infielder for tonight, and I don't have that [long-term] plan," manager Bobby Valentine said when asked how he plans to utilize Iglesias.

The slick-fielding shortstop was hitting .266 with a home run, 23 RBIs and 12 stolen bases with the PawSox. Lin, who was with Boston for a brief stint earlier in the year, was batting .247 with a pair of homers and 14 steals.

Tazawa, who was optioned to Pawtucket prior to Friday night's game, is in his third stint with the Red Sox this season. He has a 1.37 ERA and one save in 20 appearances with Boston.

Nava is headed to the DL with a left wrist sprain for the second time. He had been activated from the disabled list just six days earlier, appearing in only two games.
Doubront had been on the disabled list since Aug. 10. He is 10-6 with a 4.70 ERA this season, but 0-2 with a 6.53 ERA in his last four starts.

BUCHHOLZ SHARP IN SIMULATED GAME: Red Sox pitcher Clay Buchholz tossed a 48-pitch simulated game this afternoon at Fenway Park in preparation for his start on Sunday in Kansas City. It’ll be a total of nine days between his last spring training start and his season debut.

“Everything felt good,” he said. “Surprisingly I felt a lot more comfortable than I expected to. I felt smooth with all the pitches and made adjustments on a pitch-to-pitch basis. For the most part it went good.”

It’s the first time in over a week Buchholz has seen batters in the box. Due to the three off days the Sox have in the first nine days of the regular season, Boston’s rotation can be stretched out a little bit. Buchholz has thrown a couple of bullpen sessions, but it’s not the same when you’re not facing batters.

Teammates Jason Varitek, Bill Hall and Jeremy Hermida served as the batters for Buchholz.

“We’re just trying to figure out a way to not get rust,” said Red Sox manager Terry Francona, who watched from the stands. “It was a good thing to do.”

Buchholz has been calmly chomping at the bit to get out there and now he’s really looking forward to his first start of 2010.

“I’m ready,” he said. “It wasn’t that long ago, but it seems like an eternity since last season ended. I feel good. I feel healthy and that’s the main thing. I’m definitely looking forward to it.

DICE-K AND BOOF PAWTUCKET BOUND: Red Sox pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka will start for Triple-A Pawtucket on Saturday at McCoy Stadium. The right-hander, who has been on the disabled list since April 3 with a neck strain, is scheduled to throw 80 to 85 pitches. He will need a couple of rehab starts before he rejoins the Red Sox.

Fellow right-hander Boof Bonser will start for the PawSox in their home opener on Thursday against Rochester. He was placed on the DL on March 31 with a right groin strain. He’s scheduled to throw 80-85 pitches.

DECISIONS, DECISIONS: Reliever Alan Embree will also pitch for Pawtucket on Thursday. The Red Sox re-acquired the left-hander this spring and he has an opt-out clause in his agreement that states the club has until April 15 to call him up or he becomes a free agent. He can also choose to stay in the minors in hopes of getting a call up during the season. “We’ll try to pitch him as much as we can without going overboard,” said Francona.

SUCCESSFUL SURGERY: Red Sox pitching prospect Junichi Tazawa had Tommy John surgery in Birmingham, Ala., on Tuesday and it was successful. The right-hander returned to the Sox’s spring training facility in Fort Myers, Fla., to begin his rehab.

FORT MYERS, Fla. -- Boston Red Sox minor league right-hander Junichi Tazawa will have Tommy John elbow reconstruction surgery on Tuesday, ending his 2010 season before it begins, manager Terry Francona said Thursday.

The surgery will be performed by orthopedist James Andrews in Birmingham, Ala. Recovery time is typically nine months to a year.

Tazawa, a 23-year-old Japanese industrial league find who made four starts for the Red Sox last season and projected to be in Pawtucket's starting rotation, has a sprained ulnar collateral ligament in his throwing elbow.

On Tuesday morning, Tazawa had told reporters the tightness he'd experienced in camp this spring was something he had pitched with in the past in Japan, but the Red Sox decided to have it checked by Andrews. Tazawa had given up five home runs in seven innings this spring.

"There were times in camp here that he felt normal and there were other times where because of lack of command or action to his pitches he felt like something wasn't quite right either in the game or the amount of recovery time he would need," Red Sox pitching coach John Farrell said earlier this week. "And we mapped out his workload to give him ample time to recover, although it got to a point where we needed to take a further look and get an in-depth evaluation."

Francona also offered these tidbits Thursday morning:

* Right-handed reliever Scott Atchison was told Thursday morning that he has made the club, cinching one of the final two spots in the bullpen.

* Left-handed reliever Alan Embree was told he needs more time. The Red Sox would like him to stay here, pitch Saturday, then pitch for affiliates. He has an April 15 opt-out date in his conrtract. Francona said Embree was told to take a day to talk it over with family and friends, but made it clear the Red Sox would like him to stay.

* Right-handed reliever Joe Nelson was told he was going north to Washington, D.C., with the club, is "deep in the mix,'' but has no guarantees of a job. The Red Sox will look at Scott Schoeneweis again Thursday, but he would appear to be a long shot. The Red Sox play an exhibition game against the Nationals on Saturday.

* Left fielder Jacoby Ellsbury is not playing in a game for a third straight day, but Francona insists it's just to let him rest his arm, sore after a day of working on cutoffs and relays in camp a few days ago. Ellsbury is scheduled to take batting practice Thursday.

* First baseman Kevin Youkilis will not play Thursday after fouling a pitch off his right knee the day before, but Francona said it's just a bruise.

* Pitcher Fernando Cabrera was reassigned to minor-league camp.

* Reserve outfielder Jeremy Hermida (hamstring) will go to minor-league camp Friday to get multiple at-bats, then will head north with the club.