Red Sox get clutch relief pitching from unexpected sources

8:26 PM ET

TORONTO — A team is always in need of some clutch relief pitching in an extra-inning game, yet in the wake of consecutive late-game breakdowns in the first two games of the Boston Red Sox’s weekend series with the Toronto Blue Jays, the bullpen’s performance on Sunday particularly stood out.

Koji Uehara, Clay Buchholz and Robbie Ross Jr. combined for 3 1/3 frames of scoreless pitching to carry Boston to a 5-3 victory against Toronto in 11 innings. If you’re keeping track, that’s the backup closer, a converted starter making his first relief appearance since 2008 and a southpaw who hadn’t pitched in nine days.

Manager John Farrell was forced to go with his secondary options with closer Craig Kimbrel unavailable after tossing 39 pitches on Saturday and the team “staying away from” Junichi Tazawa and Matt Barnes since both relievers would’ve been pitching for the third consecutive day.

“On a day when we were thin because of the amount of use that they’ve had, Clay steps in, Robbie comes in after an extended period down, Koji was clean. They did a heck of a job,” Farrell said.

With the Red Sox ahead 3-2 heading into the eighth, it seemed as if another bullpen meltdown could be on the menu when Heath Hembree allowed a game-tying solo homer to Toronto’s Edwin Encarnacion to lead off the inning. Hembree then recorded two outs and left two baserunners for Ross, who entered the game to retire pinch hitter Russell Martin.

Ross remained to pitch the ninth, on paper perhaps a questionable move given the personnel Toronto was sending to the plate. While the southpaw has pretty even splits against left-handed and right-handed batters over his career, Ross (after getting lefty-swinging Michael Saunders to lead off the inning) had to face a quartet of powerful righty bats in Jose Bautista, Josh Donaldson, Encarnacion and Jimmy …

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