MLB

Buchholz hoping injury won’t hinder him in Game 4

ST. LOUIS — Clay Buchholz is banking that his right shoulder won’t be a problem on Sunday.

“It’s going to be my first World Series experience being on the field,” said the Red Sox right-hander, who will be opposed by Lance Lynn in Game 4, with Boston trailing St. Louis two games to one after the Cardinals’ 5-4 win in Game 3 Saturday night. “Just the environment, the crowd, the adrenaline, that’s going to help me out, too.”

Buchholz had tightness in the shoulder in his start against the Tigers in Game 6 of the ALCS and was removed after 85 pitches. As a result, Red Sox manager John Farrell switched up his World Series rotation, giving Jake Peavy the start in Game 3 instead of Buchholz. Peavy would be in position to start a potential Game 7.

“We go into [Sunday] thinking that he’s going to give us what he’s been in the postseason,” Farrell said. “That might be a little bit shorter of an outing than maybe we’ve seen back in April and May. But he’s also been very effective.”

The right-hander has posted a 5.40 ERA in three starts this postseason.

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Allen Craig continues to take grounders at first base, but could be reduced to pinch-hitting duty for the next few days.

“As far as being able to throw him out there defensively, it’s a process,” Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said before Game 3 of the World Series on Saturday. “He feels good and made a stride forward. But right now, the timing, we just can’t do it yet as far as a start goes.”

Craig, who missed the NLDS and NLCS because of a bad ankle, started at designated hitter in Boston for Games 1 and 2 of the World Series and went 2-for-7. He pinch hit in the ninth Saturday night, doubling and later scoring the winning run after an obstruction call against Boston third baseman Will Middlebrooks.

Matt Adams remained in the Cardinals’ lineup as the first baseman and went 2-for-5. Adams entered play batting .245 with a homer and four RBIs this postseason.

“We’re pretty happy with the guy we have out there — Matt Adams has done a terrific job,” Matheny said. “We have [Craig’s] bat off the bench, we have the ability to bring him in if need to. But we’ll just see how the next couple of days go.”

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Carlos Beltran was named the winner of the Roberto Clemente award as MLB’s top humanitarian for 2013. Beltran established a foundation and baseball academy to benefit youth in his native Puerto Rico.

The Cardinals outfielder flew to Puerto Rico on a day off in June to award diplomas to members of his academy’s first graduating class.

“I always, when I was a kid, wanted to be like [Clemente] in one way, meaning having the opportunity to play baseball, having the opportunity to give back,” Beltran said. “I know when you give back, doors are going to be opened for you in life.”

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Not only did the Red Sox have the disadvantage of losing Mike Napoli from the starting lineup Saturday — David Ortiz played first base because there is no DH in the NL ballpark — but more subtly, Boston’s pitchers had to hit.

“Even something as basic as a sac bunt, we don’t have that much repetition,” Farrell said. “We can work all we want in the cage or live BP sessions, but you put 40-plus thousand people in the seats and 90-plus [mph] coming at you, that’s a different scenario.”

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The team winning Game 3 in a 1-1 World Series has gone on to win the championship in 11 of the last 12 instances it has occurred. The exception during that stretch was 2003, when the Yankees won Game 3 against the Marlins, but lost the World Series.