Clay Buchholz, delivering a first-inning pitch, mastered the Rangers’ batters.

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The Providence Journal / Bob Breidenbach

BOSTON — Clay Buchholz is only 23 years old and, as a rookie, he will go through a few trials and tribulations.

But he’s wise beyond his years when it comes to mixing his pitches and keeping the opposition off balance.

Two early Texas at-bats yesterday speak to that pitch-selection maturity, aided, of course, by the calls of the catcher, in this case Kevin Cash.

In the second inning, Buchholz thoroughly confused Rangers designated hitter Jason Botts. Buchholz slipped a 93 mph fastball past Botts for strike one, and then Botts flailed and badly missed a 76 mph curveball for strike two.

Botts clearly was expecting another curveball, or something off speed. Buchholz, though, delivered a 93 mph fastball and Botts missed it, his swing late.

One inning later, Buchholz befuddled Josh Hamilton, who entered the game batting .299. Hamilton swung through a 76 mph changeup for strike one. Then he couldn’t hold up and foul-tipped a 74 mph changeup.

Down, 0-and-2, Hamilton, who had waved and missed a 76 mph curveball for a whiff in the first, apparently was looking for another off-speed pitch. He didn’t move a muscle as Buchholz whipped a 91 mph fastball past him for a called third strike.

Ortiz coming around

David Ortiz had a few big hits in the four-game series with the Rangers, showing flashes of his dominant presence at the plate.

Still, he hasn’t yet found a consistent groove, as evidenced by his ups and downs yesterday. He’s not quite locked in, though he’s getting closer.

In the third inning, for instance, Big Papi came to the plate with runners at first and third and none out in a 0-0 game. It was a great RBI opportunity for Ortiz, who has knocked in at least 117 runs in each of the last four seasons.

The count reached 1-and-2 when Texas reliever Dustin Nippert hung an 83 mph slider on the outer half of the plate. It was a pitch that, when he’s in his groove, Ortiz crushes to left-center. But Ortiz pulled off the ball and barely stayed alive on a foul tip.

Nippert’s next pitch was away, too. This time it was a 93 mph fastball. Ortiz again pulled off the pitch and was unable to reach it, swinging and missing for a strikeout.

Ortiz wasn’t able to drive the ball to left field in his next at-bat, either, but he got a break when Milton Bradley lost his routine high fly ball in the sun, the ball falling behind the outfielder for a gift RBI double, capping the Sox’ five-run rally.

But in the fifth, Ortiz managed to keep his front shoulder in and drive a pitch on the outer half of the plate off the Green Monster for a two-run double that put Boston on top, 8-0.

It’s great to be good

Good things happen to good teams. And vice versa.

The Red Sox are a good team. The Rangers are not.

Take a look at the bottom of the fourth, when Boston pushed across five runs for a 5-0 lead.

It started with a four-pitch walk. Then Nippert balked him to second, wheeling to make a throw to first and then inexplicably holding the ball. Lowrie tried to sacrifice. It was a terrible bunt, popped up. But the placement was perfect — toward the shortstop grass — and the ball fell in for a single. Lugo bounced a 15-hopper up the middle, perfectly placed over the bag for an RBI.

Lugo committed a mistake and was trapped off first on Kevin Cash’s weak popup/liner to second, a seemingly easy double play, but Ian Kinsler’s throw to first short-hopped Ben Broussard and got away for an error, allowing a run to score.

Ellsbury reached when shortstop Michael Young fielded his roller in the hole and threw wide to first. Dustin Pedroia ripped a two-run double to right-center for the only hard-hit ball of the inning. Then Ortiz and the Sox got a gift RBI double when left fielder Milton Bradley lost Ortiz’s high fly ball in the sun, the ball almost hitting Bradley on the head as he sank to the turf, trying to protect himself.

skrasner@projo.com