TORONTO — It was only one inning and four batters yet it was something, and John Farrell knew that in the way only former pitchers who have struggled themselves, as Clay Buchholz is now, fully can.

He knew it well enough to realize he needed to make that understanding clear yesterday not long after Buchholz had come out of the bullpen in the 10th inning of a tie game and done his job. He hadn’t won the game, but more importantly he hadn’t lost it for the Red Sox.

Had the game remained tied Buchholz would have come back out for the 11th. After Dustin Pedroia put the Red Sox ahead for good with a ground-rule double in the top of the inning in what ultimately became a sweep-avoiding 5-3 victory over the Blue Jays at Rogers Centre, Farrell turned to one-time closer Koji Uehara and Uehara pitched like the one-time closer he’d once been. He retired three straight, two on strikeouts, to end a three-game losing streak and preserve the first good moment Buchholz has had on a pitcher’s mound since May 4.

Farrell clapped Buchholz on the back and shook his hand in the clubhouse minutes later, only three days after having informed him he was being pulled from the starting rotation and sent to the bullpen to find himself. That is clearly more than a one-game process. But after two days of sullen silence as he digested the news he had, at least temporarily, lost his spot in the rotation to returning Eduardo Rodriguez, who will start tomorrow in Baltimore in Buchholz’ turn, he was handed the ball and knew what to do with it.

“I don’t think anybody would be human as a baseball player and not take it as a slap in the face,” Buchholz said of his demotion, then yesterday responded by getting Kevin Pillar to pop out and striking out free-swinging Russell Martin to safely escape the 10th after allowing a one-out single to Darwin Barney, which surely had hearts racing among Sox’ fans. “He understood that. Me and John have pretty good communication. We have a manager who understands the game.”

Buchholz also understands the uneasy position he’s in. Unlike a starter who can prepare each day knowing when he will next pitch, he now sits behind the outfield fence, waiting for he knows not what.

Yesterday, he came into a tie game with the bullpen burned out, unsure how long he’d throw. All he knew was that unlike a starting pitcher, he had no margin for error . . . and he made none.

Had the Red Sox not scored twice in the top of the 11th, Buchholz would have been back on the mound, but just as suddenly as he went in he was out. Such is life now after making only his third appearance out of the bullpen and first since Aug. 17, 2008. It was relief, in all forms.

He was relieved to provide some relief for the bullpen and equally relieved for himself. He had been handed the ball at a critical moment and not buckled this time. Instead, he’d played a small role in a big win.

“This is the position I’m in,” he said. “I got to help the team win however I can. It is part of the adjustment I have to make for the time being. It’s sort of a learning experience for me.”

Buchholz now has to learn how to warm up quickly or take his time, depending on what’s going on 300 feet or 400 feet away, where the action is. He has to adjust to the uncertainty of long relief, never sure if today is the day he’s eating sunflower seeds or asked to throw seeds by free-swinging hitters. For a career starter in the midst of some angst, it’s not easy, even though he made it look so.

“That was good, man,” starter David Price said of Buchholz’ effort. “He needed that. We needed that. Could’ve spiraled in the opposite direction (if) he goes out there in a place he’s thrown the baseball extremely well and . . . didn’t have good things happen for him out there. They walk it off on him, there’s no telling where his confidence would go.

“He’s a very confident guy even while he’s struggling right now (but) that was very good to see for him. It’s a good sign. I was very happy to see him go out there and throw the baseball the way he did. He made really good pitches.

“Everybody’s gone through it. This is a tough game, you know? I don’t think he was throwing the ball as bad as what his record is or what his ERA is. Some of the pitches that guys have hit for extra bases or for home runs, not bad pitches. It’s just one of those things, it feels like there’s going to be one out of every five starters that’s the case for. Good stuff just doesn’t happen for him, and that’s definitely been the case for him.

“He’s weathering the storm and that’s good to see. He went out there and stepped up for us today in a situation he’s unfamiliar with. It’s not an easy thing to do.”

Not easy and far from over, but it was a start. Not a real one, but a good one.

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