Boston, MA (SportsNetwork.com) - Luis Valbuena drove in the go-ahead run in the ninth inning with a sacrifice fly as the Chicago Cubs escaped Fenway Park with a 2-1 victory over the Boston Red Sox.
Boston went with Koji Uehara to start the ninth with the game tied, and Anthony Rizzo greeted the closer with a leadoff single. Starlin Castro followed with a double to put runners on second and third, and Valbuena's fly ball to right field was deep enough to score Rizzo for the what turned into the deciding run.
Hector Rondon shut down the Red Sox in the ninth to post his 11th save, while Pedro Strop (1-3) earned the win with a scoreless inning of relief behind Edwin Jackson, who scattered six hits and four walks over six innings of one- run ball.
"We've been very fortunate in that our starting pitching has done a nice job and our relief corps has done a really good job," Cubs manager Rick Renteria said. "Guys just scratched out a run or two to give us an opportunity to win."
Uehara (3-2) was saddled with the loss, Boston's second straight in this three-game interleague series.
Dustin Pedroia went 3-for-5 and drove in the only run for the Red Sox, and Clay Buchholz, in his second start since returning from the disabled list, only allowed one run on five hits over 6 1/3 innings.
"I thought he had good stuff, probably one of the better fastballs he's had the entire season," Red Sox manager John Farrell said. "I thought he threw a number of really good curveballs."
The Red Sox, who were shut out on Monday, ran themselves out of a run in the first inning when A.J. Pierzynski was thrown out trying to stretch a single into a double, and Welington Castillo threw behind Stephen Drew at first with an inning-ending pickoff that left a man on third.
Boston stranded two more in the fourth when Justin Ruggiano made a terrific leaping catch in center to rob Xander Bogaerts of extra bases, but the hosts put together a two-out rally in the fifth to break the scoreless tie. Jackie Bradley Jr. doubled and Brock Holt singled before Pedroia knocked in a run with a base hit to left.
The bases were left loaded, however, when Mike Napoli grounded into a fielder's choice, and Buchholz finally blinked in the sixth after setting down 13 hitters in a row.
A double and single started the frame, and Ruggiano scored when Chris Coghlan's grounder up the middle deflected off Pedroia's glove and found its way to Drew standing on second for the force out.
Like Boston, the Cubs left runners on as Rizzo lined into an inning-killing double play, then Chicago wasted a first-and-third, one-out chance in the seventh. Buchholz was pulled after plunking Castillo to put two on, and Andrew Miller struck out pinch-hitter Junior Lake and Ruggiano to keep it a 1-1 game.
Game Notes
Pedroia recorded his third three-hit game in his last four contests ... Eleven of Boston's last 17 games have been decided by one run (6-5) ... Chicago has won two straight games while plating two or fewer runs after doing so just two times all season prior to Monday's 2-0 victory ... Boston has held its opponents to three runs or less in its last 14 home games, the longest such streak in franchise history ... Earlier Tuesday, the Red Sox traded pitcher Rich Hill to the Angels in exchange for cash and released pitcher Chris Capuano.
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