The Rays have won five in a row, their longest winning streak in almost three years. The Sox, playing without Sean Casey (strained hip, disabled list) and David Ortiz (bruised right knee, not expected to play today, either) have lost four in a row and were caught atop the American League East by the Baltimore Orioles.
"He hit a good pitch, man," said Buchholz, who struck out nine, the same number as in his no-hitter Sept. 1 against the Orioles. "When I let it go, I thought he was either going to take it or swing over it, but he was sitting all over it. Hats off to him. I threw a pitcher's pitch and he hit it."
Iwamura, who lined a changeup to the track in center in the third inning - the only fair ball hit in the air by the Rays for seven innings - confirmed he was looking for a curveball on Buchholz's 110th pitch of the game.
"He left a breaking ball over the plate in a game where basically all of our offense was generated by Coco [Crisp] and his legs," manager Terry Francona said. "I thought Clay was great. He just gave up a home run when we didn't need him to."
Iwamura's home run, his first since Sept. 3, came after a pinch-hit single by Dioner Navarro with one out in the eighth. It ended a string of 13 successive Rays set down by Buchholz.
Buchholz, who opened the inning by whiffing Gabe Gross, thought he had Navarro punched out, too, with an 0-and-2 breaking ball, but plate umpire Dan Iassogna thought otherwise. Navarro lined the next pitch into right on one bounce to right fielder Jacoby Ellsbury.
"I left a changeup in the zone and that's where it started," Buchholz said.
Buchholz retired the next batter, Jason Bartlett, on a fly to center, but with Jonathan Papelbon and Hideki Okajima warming in the bullpen, Iwamura lined a 1-and-1 pitch over the right-field fence.
Looking to hit in a home run in that situation? "No," Iwamura, who had been using a translator, said in English. "I am little."
