ATLANTA (AP) — Clay Buchholz pitched seven strong innings and the Boston Red Sox, after benching third baseman Pablo Sandoval, beat Atlanta 5-2 Thursday night for their second win in 10 games.
Manager John Farrell didn’t play Sandoval after the former World Series MVP used his Instagram account Wednesday night during a loss to the Braves. Sandoval apologized to the team before the game, and Farrell said he won’t be fined or suspended.
Buchholz (4-6) gave up two unearned runs and six hits. Koji Uehara worked the ninth for his 14th save.
Shelby Miller (5-3) took the loss as the Braves split the four-game, two-city series. He gave up four runs, only one of them earned, in 5 2-3 innings.
The Red Sox ended a seven-game road losing streak, helped when Atlanta third baseman Juan Uribe dropped a routine popup.
Boston led 1-0 in the sixth when Uribe dropped the foul pop by Mookie Betts about 15 feet from home plate. Betts singled two pitches later, then David Ortiz singled to load the bases with no outs.
A run scored on Hanley Ramirez’s double-play grounder, Xander Bogaerts hit an RBI single and Alejandro De Aza finished Miller’s night with a run-scoring double.
Brock Holt had two hits and a walk, scored three times and made a diving stop on a grounder at second base in the seventh when Atlanta had two runners on base.
The Braves scored two unearned runs in the sixth when A.J. Pierzynski hit a line drive off Buchholz’s glove with the bases loaded. Buchholz scrambled after the ball, then overthrew Ortiz at first by trying to throw the ball with his glove hand.
Boston benches Sandoval for using Instagram
Boston Red Sox third baseman Pablo Sandoval was benched by manager John Farrell for Thursday night’s game against Atlanta after using his Instagram account during a loss to the Braves.
Boston is last in the AL East at 28-39 and has lost eight of its last nine games.
“The clubhouse is not run amok,” manager John Farrell said. “This is an incident I believe is isolated. My focus is to get better on the field every day.”
Farrell said the Red Sox will not fine or suspend Sandoval. The manager was not sure whether Major League Baseball will discipline the 2012 World Series MVP.
After Boston ended the 2011 season with 20 losses in its last 27 games, there were reports of starting pitchers drinking beer and eating fried chicken in the clubhouse during games in which they weren’t scheduled to pitch instead of staying on the bench to support their teammates.
Bobby Valentine replaced manager Terry Francona after the season, but was let go after a last-place finish. Farrell was hired and managed the Red Sox to the 2013 World Series title.
Sandoval said he had returned to the clubhouse to use the bathroom during Wednesday night’s 5-2 defeat and checked his phone.
“First time,” he said. “I take the mistake, I learn from it. I broke the team rules.”
Major League Baseball prohibits players from using electronic equipment during the period starting 30 minutes before a game and ending with the game’s conclusion.
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