Bullpen sets team mark with 15 whiffs

By Maureen Mullen / Special to MLB.com

BOSTON -- Despite Saturday's 7-6, 11-inning loss to the Brewers, the Red Sox bullpen put up some impressive numbers to keep the team in the game. After starter Clay Buchholz struggled through 4 1/3 innings, giving up six runs on 13 hits, six relievers combined to hold the Brewers scoreless until Burke Badenhop gave up a run in the 11th, getting charged with the loss.

Chris Capuano, Brandon Workman, Koji Uehara, Junichi Tazawa, Badenhop, and Andrew Miller pitched a combined 6 2/3 innings, giving up one run on six hits and a walk with team-record 15 strikeouts from the bullpen.

"Our bullpen saved us tonight," said manager John Farrell. "The number of pitches they had to throw, stressful pitches, Tazawa, Capuano, [they] all did an outstanding job. We're in 11 innings, even though Burke had pitched two innings [Friday], he was the one guy with some sink and some action to put the ball on the ground. Another double the other way and that's the difference in the ballgame."

Including Buchholz's outing, it was the first time in team history five pitchers each recorded three or more strikeouts. Capuano struck out four of the eight batters he faced, while Workman, Uehara, and Tazawa each recorded three.

Uehara struck all three batters he faced in the ninth on 13 pitches (10 strikes). He extended his regular-season scoreless streak to eight games, spanning 8 2/3 innings, with four hits and 11 strikeouts, dating back to Sept. 17, 2013, against the Orioles.

The 18 total strikeouts were the most by Sox pitchers in a game since striking out 20 at Philadelphia on June 12, 2009, in 13 innings. It was the most in a home game since Roger Clemens struck out 20 Mariners on April 29, 1986.

But, Sox pitchers also combined to allow 19 hits, the most in a game since also giving up 19 on May 8, 2013, against the Twins.

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