BOSTON — The Red Sox have been playing a virtual chess match with their pitching staff, and yesterday was no different.

After Kason Gabbard was outstanding and earned his first victory of the season in his spot-start for Boston yesterday, the crafty left-hander was optioned back to Pawtucket and hard-throwing right-hander Manny Delcarmen was recalled.

It’s the second time in as many days the Red Sox have summoned help from their minor-league affiliate, only to make another change. First it was Devern Hansack, who started Saturday with Josh Beckett on the disabled list with a finger injury. Hansack was sent back to Pawtucket after his rough outing against the Braves and Gabbard was recalled for yesterday’s game.

Gabbard struck out a career-high seven batters and allowed just two runs on six hits with one walk in five-plus innings of work against Atlanta.

“He did unbelievable,” said Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia. “He was spotting every pitch. I’ve seen him a bunch because I came up with him through the minors. That was him — he gets a lot of ground-ball outs and keeps hitters off-balance. He was great.”

Even though Gabbard was solid, the transaction was still made after the game. Red Sox manager Terry Francona told Gabbard he was being optioned back to Pawtucket and will pitch his next scheduled start for the PawSox on Friday against Syracuse.

As a result, Delcarmen left Ottawa, where the PawSox were playing, and will meet the Red Sox in New York for the upcoming three-game set against the Yankees.

“We need some help,” said Francona. “We don’t want to get caught short.”

Delcarmen struggled at the start of the season in Pawtucket, but he’s turned it around of late and he’ll be ready to fill any void for the Sox.

“He’s been doing pretty well,” said Francona. “Today, for me, was an organizational win. We got a kid called up from Pawtucket and he helped us in a big game. It’s nice to have guys you can go to to help you for maybe a 10-day stretch. We’re not going to go with 13 pitchers, but to stay away from a couple of people and still be able to win some games is important.”

In 14 appearances (19 2/3 innings) for the PawSox this season, Delcarmen is 2-2 with a 5.03 ERA, including 28 strikeouts and just eight walks.

One and done

Javier Lopez doesn’t like to waste pitches.

And his sinker is helping in minimizing his workload while maximizing his “outs” total out of the bullpen.

Yesterday, the sidearming left-hander was brought into the game with the bases loaded and one out in the sixth. The Braves already had pushed across two runs, slicing their deficit to 6-2.

Lopez’s second pitch to Scott Thorman got the Sox out of the jam. Thorman hit a bouncer to first baseman Eric Hinske, with Lopez taking the relay from shortstop Alex Cora for the rally-killing double-play. And that was the extent of Lopez’s work yesterday.

It was a similar outing to one he had in the night game of the day-night against Detroit on Thursday. The Tigers’ Oman Infante banged Lopez’s second pitch into an inning-ending double play.

“If you’re going to get in there in those situations you might as well get as many outs on as few pitches as possible,” said Lopez.

Papelbon gets some work

The intense competitor inside Jonathan Papelbon was not happy with his results yesterday even if the Sox did win. Papelbon entered the game with a 6-2 lead in the ninth. He surrendered one run on three singles.

“It’s just annoying,” said Papelbon after the 6-3 win. “Two of them were broken bats. The other one was just kind of flipped out there. That’s baseball, I guess. But I had great stuff, and you don’t expect those kinds of things to happen when you have great stuff.”

Papelbon did not qualify for a save. He just needed to get an inning in. He has had only one save opportunity since May 6 in Minnesota (he converted against the Tigers), and yesterday was only the third time he had even gotten in a game since setting down the Twins.

“It has been an all-out grind for me, man, trying to stay sharp,” he said.

Youkilis hot on homestand

While the Sox left for New York in a great frame of mind, Kevin Youkilis had to be at least a little reluctant to leave Fenway.

Youkilis reached base four more times yesterday, with a single, double and home run. He also walked. He hit .400 on the homestand (16-for-40) with four doubles, three home runs, 10 RBI, six runs scored and three walks.

His home run yesterday curled inside the Pesky Pole in right. Someone asked if he seemed a little sheepish about it. “It’s still a home run,” he said.

Youkilis now has a career best 13-game hitting streak.

Around the bases

The Sox completed their 10-game homestand with a 7-3 mark. … They lead the major leagues in on-base percentage, at .362, and walks, with 187. They are best in the American League in batting average, at .277 (the Yankees are second at .275), and are second to Detroit in both slugging, at .440 and runs scored 232. … It will be fine with Tim Hudson if the Braves do not visit Fenway again. Hudson, who began the day leading the majors with nine straight quality starts, continued a career-long struggle in Fenway. Hudson is now 1-5 in seven career appearances at Fenway, with an ERA just over eight. This is from a guy who carried the second-best ERA in the National League (1.77) into yesterday’s start. … Hinske, getting the start at first base, had a big day in the field, starting a nicely turned 3-6-1 double play on a hard shot by Thorman with the bases loaded in the sixth.

jmcdonal@projo.com