No-hitter for rookie

BOSTON – The call-up came up with all zeros.

Clay Buchholz threw a no-hitter in his second major league start, just hours after the Boston Red Sox promoted him from the minors Saturday night.

The 23-year-old righty became the first Red Sox rookie to throw one, baffling the Baltimore Orioles with an assortment of curves, changeups and fastballs in a 10-0 victory.

“I sort of tried to zone everything out, but it was sort of hard with 40,000 people screaming,” he said. “I’m in a blur right now.”

The crowd stood through the entire ninth inning, cheering every pitch and taking pictures of the young righty in his windup and as he paced around the mound between pitches. A groan rose from the stands when Corey Patterson hit a line drive to center with one out, but Coco Crisp easily moved over to catch it.

Buchholz started Nick Markakis with a ball, then went ahead 1-2 when the batter fouled one off with a check swing.

The crowd grew even louder, the flashes were constant, and Buchholz threw a 77 mph curveball that Markakis watched go by.

Plate umpire Joe West hesitated, but catcher Jason Varitek rose from his crouch to run to the mound. The rest of the Red Sox soon joined him there, and David Ortiz enveloped the rookie in a bear hug.

“He’s somebody you don’t want to see running at you, full-speed,” Buchholz said.

Buchholz, who turned 23 on Aug. 14, pitched the third no-hitter of the season – following Mark Buehrle of the Chicago White Sox against Texas on April 18 and Justin Verlander of Detroit against Milwaukee on June 12.

Buchholz (2-0) became the 21st rookie to throw a no-hitter since 1900, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.