Clay's Royal Performance

Clay Buchholz is becoming the pitcher that the Red Sox thought he would be right before our eyes. Tonight in Kansas City he put on a royal performance, shutting out the Royals for 6.2 innings, scattering 5 hits, walking none, and striking out 8. OK, he did hit one Royal, but otherwise he has become a solid candidate for starter #3 in the post-season. R2 came in the 7th to finish off that inning on 2 pitches, but fell apart in the 8th, and surrendered 3 runs before being lifted for Saito, who finished the game. Buchholz is now 7-3, with a 3.21 ERA.

On the other side of the plate, the Sox unleashed a barrage of 15 hits, including multi-hit games by 6 starters, and plated 10 of them. Alex Gonzalez went 2 for 5, scoring twice and raising his batting average to .241, which is 31 points higher than when he arrived in Boston. While the Sox were doing all that scoring, Zack Greinke was ejected for impersonating the home plate umpire. Manager Trey Hillman followed Greinke to the clubhouse a short while later.

Next stop for the Sox is da Bronx, with Jon Lester facing Joba Chamberlain. Chamberlain is in the middle of a serious slump, not unlike Beckett’s recent woes. Let’s hope Chamberlain doesn’t snap out of it just yet. Sabathia follows against Dice-K. Sabathia is due for a loss, as the Yanks have won the 10 games that he has started. Mystery man Paul Byrd goes up against Andy Pettitte in the 3rd match. Pettitte has been nursing a fatigued left shoulder.

Sox Win 10-3 BOX SCORE

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Clay Does it Again

Clay Buchhoz had a no decision in game one of today's doubleheader against the Rays, but he is the reason the Red Sox won; he pitched 7 innings and gave up just 1 run on 5 hits. He took another step in becoming the #3 starter if the Red Sox make the post-season.  Oki pitched a perfect 8th and Papelbon came in to earn his 36th save in the 9th.

The offense was having a hard time getting hits off of Rays starter Matt Garza, but in the 6th Pedey just missed a homer with a wall-ball double and V-Mart drove him to put the Sox on the board.  Pedroia also had a 2-run homer off of Garza in the 8th.

Game 1 of the Rangers doubleheader is delayed until at least 5pm so the Red Sox now have a 3.5 game lead in the wild-card standings.

Red Sox Win 3-1 BOX SCORE

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Rays	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	1	6	0
Red Sox	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	2	0	3	9	0

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Buchholz Talks About His Outing

Clay Buchholz talked to the media after his outing and explained how he was able to get through the Rays lineup after the first inning. Watch below:

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Buchholz would have none of that

Buchholz would have none of that 'pitching like an ace and losing' crap anymore. In his last 2 starts Buchholz was finally looking like the prospect as he has been touted: 13 IP, 4 H's, 3 ER's, 6 K's, total for the 2 games. Unfortunately he was bested in those pitcher's duels by Justin Verlander of the Tigers and CC Sabathia of the Yankees.

Tonight was no different, except that the Sox bats were alive and there was no bullpen implosion, either. Buchholz can probably see that 'Entering RI, The Ocean State' sign disappearing fast in his rear view mirror. (The perps only got to 2 of his rims before being nabbed, and not the rear view mirrors.) He turned in another great game tonight: 6 IP, 6 H's, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 K's, lowering his ERA to below 4.00, and got run support this time. The Sox tagged Toronto ace Halladay for 5 runs by the time the 5th inning had ended. Ortiz, Bay, and Martinez all had HR's for the Sox, who banged out 10 H's total.

Sox Win 6-1 BOX SCORE

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Ninth Inning Rally Beats Texas

The Red Sox scored 6 runs in the top of the ninth inning tonight in Arlington, TX, beating the Rangers 8-4. Jon Lester pitched another great non-decision game. In 6 innings, he allowed 3 runs on 6 hits while striking out 11, making some of those Rangers look downright silly at times. During the 9th inning rally, the Sox overcame a baserunning error by Clay Buchholz, who was sent in to pinch run for Jason Varitek.



Sox Win 8-4 BOX SCORE

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Man on a Mission

Clearly, Clay Buchholz does not want to return to Pawtucket, foisted heist of his BMW rims notwithstanding. Last Saturday, he limited the Yankees to two runs over 6 innings, but Sabathia was 2 runs better. Tonight, he went 7 innings against the Twins, and allowed only 1 earned run.

Yes folks, just when we thought it was safe to go to the ball park again, just when we thought the Sox bats had come alive for good, after watching in painful silence as the Yankees put the hurt on the Sox by limiting them to 0 runs in a 25 inning stretch, just after we see them turn the corner and pound out 15 runs in 2 games against the Tigers, the bats go quiet once more. The opposing pitcher this time was another stud, Justin Verlander, who silenced the Sox bats, save for 4 hits, and 0 runs.

Buchholz now has two quality starts in a row. With Smoltz shaky at best and now gone, and with Penny having a bit of a rollercoaster ride lately, Buchholz appears to be stepping up his game. Let’s hope that his good showings against Sabathia and Verlander, and Tazawa’s 4 good innings once he settled down, are signs of good gems to come.

There is some other good news from this game besides Buchholz’s pitching. Fernando Cabrera, who was recently called up to Boston from Pawtucket, struck out the side in the 9th inning. He allowed only 1 hit in his 2 innings pitched so far.



Sox Lose 0-2 BOX SCORE

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Sox Win Slugfest, Buchholz Struggles

The Boston bats came out of the gate swinging and hammering the Orioles, scoring 4 in the first, and 14 runs total in the first 4 innings, scoring in each of them. You would think that staked to a 4 run lead in the first, that Buchholz would cruise, too, yet he walked the first batter he faced. He made it through the first 2 innings without allowing a run, but in the third inning, staked to a 7 run lead by that point, he climbed into the barrel until he gave up 6 runs. The Sox added 7 more runs in the 4th inning, giving Buchholz an 8 run lead heading into the bottom of the 5th. After a lead off homer by Adam Jones, he issued a free pass and allowed a single, which earned him an early trip to the bench. (Is it too late to swap Buchholz to get Masterson back?) The rest of the bullpen didn't fare well as they should have, but...

The Sox bats were still not done, though, not until they hammered the O's for 23 hits. (And neither were the O's bats quiet.) Every Sox starter had at least 1 hit, (save 1), 5 of them with multi-hit performances. Victor Martinez led the way with a 5 hits in 6 AB's and 4 RBI's.

Sox Win 18-10 BOX SCORE

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V-Mart still a possibilty

ESPN is reporting just after noon EDT today, that the Red Sox and Indians are working on a deal that would involve Martinez and Buchholz. ESPN also reports that little or no progress has been made with the deals involving Halladay and Gonzalez, as both the Blue Jays and Padres continue to ask for steep prices on them.

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Red Sox Offer Impressive Package for Halladay

The Red Sox have offered Clay Buchholz, Michael Bowden, and Ryan Westmoreland for Roy Halladay according to Gordon Edes of Yahoo Sports. With an offer like that it seems like the Sox have a legit shot at landing Halladay. Say all you want about the Sox needing a bat, with Beckett, Lester, and Halladay in the rotation the team could cruise into the postseason and then they would be in the driver's seat in any ALDS match-up.

UPDATE: Dan Roche of WBZ posted the following on his twitter account:

Source tells me sox have not offered buchholz, bowden and westmoreland for halladay

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Wake to DL, Buchholz Called Up

Tim Wakefield has a "lower back strain" and is said to have suffered the injury during a side session Saturday. He is going on the DL retroactive to July 18 and Buchholz will take his spot on the roster. Seems like Wake is taking one for the team here so the Red Sox can get one more start out of Penny, Smoltz, and Buchholz before the deadline to see what they should do for the second half.

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Buchholz Gets the Second Half Started Right

Clay Buchholz had a solid outing in his brief time with the big club; going 5 2/3minnings while giving up 1 earned run on 4 hits and 3 walks. Youk gave Buchholz an early lead with a 2-run homer in the first and Ortiz drove in 2 more in the 5th. The bullpen looked rested and pitched well. Bard struck out 3 of the 4 batters he faced and did not give up a hit. Oki gave up 1 hit in a scoreless inning and Paps was perfect in the 9th to pick up his 24th save of the season.

Red Sox Win 4-1 BOX SCORE

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Red Sox	2	0	0	0	2	0	0	0	0	4	6	1
Blue Jays	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	5	0

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Happy Buchholz Day for Me! P.S. NO TRADE CLAY!

I think people know how I feel about Clay. To say I am a HUGE fan is an understatement. So, today...no matter why or the circumstances or what shady motives might be behind it, I am CELEBRATING!



CLAY BUCHHOLZ IS PITCHING FOR THE MO FO RED SOX! At least for a day, he's going to be up with the big boys and pitching from that mound. I am super duper crazy excited.

Plus, Lugo got DFA'ed today. Lowell is back in the lineup. Lowrie is coming back tomorrow. It's basically like Christmas morning for me over here....Red Sox style.

Of course, I am also terrified. It may not be rational, but I say it often...say it loud....NO TRADE CLAY. I want to see Clay's development continue with the Red Sox and not another team. I think the kid is crazy talented and want to see him smoking away people on the mound for us and not some competing ball club.

Theo Epstein has been slapping hands of other ballclubs when it comes to Clay for years, but the idea of snatching Roy Halladay might be just enough to make Theo not so willing to say "no way no how" when it comes to pitching away his hot prospects.

I am crossing my fingers and wishing Clay LOTS of luck tonight. He's been waiting for this moment all season long. No pressure buddy.

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Clay Buchholz's Start Doesn't Answer Lingering Questions

No matter how Buchholz pitches tonight he will be sent back down to the PawSox to make room for Lowell. If he pitches great it only causes more frustration since there is no room in the rotation right now. If he pitches poorly it could further delay his full time return to the team and lowers his trade value. The Red Sox are letting him pitch tonight as a sort of a test to see how he can fare against major league hitters, but even if the Red Sox were to trade Penny they still would not have a spot for Buchholz once Dice-K comes back. Are the Red Sox trying to showcase Buchholz for a deadline trade or do they have plans for him to be a member of the rotation for the second half? Unfortunetly tonight's start does not answer any of those questions.

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Buchholz to pitch for the Red Sox on Friday!

I am a happy happy camper. Wanna know why?

Is it because I went to my first game at Fenway Park on Saturday? Possibly. (I'll post a more in depth post on this soon).

Is it because Josh Beckett just pitched a 94 pitch complete game shutout and recorded his 100th career win? Possibly.

Or...

Could it be because at the post game interview Terry Francona made an announcement that has me doing cartwheels and jumping for joy?

What did Tito say? Well, he said that on Friday, the first game after the All Star Game, the starting pitcher for the Boston Red Sox will be.....



CLAY BUCHHOLZ.

Cannot contain excitement. I have waited to see him on the mound for the Sox all season long. I don't have more info on the details...how they are dealing with the roster to make this happen...if this is a one time start or if Clay is going to hang with the rotation for a while. It's hot off the presses...and something that makes Shelley aka HUGE CLAY FAN very happy.

Of course, it also makes me suspicious. I know that there were Toronto scouts at the PawSox game today when Buch was pitching. I do fear that they are bringing Clay up to showcase him pitching on the major league level to whoever out there might be watching.

I'll say it once. I'll say it again. NO TRADE CLAY.

But, for right now...I am just going to bask in the excitement that I am going to see Clay pitching with the Red Sox in less than a week. WOOT! WOOT!

EDITED TO ADD:

The Globe has an article with a little more info on Clay and the decision to have him pitch on Friday. Tito said they were concerned about rest of their starters who are participating in the All Star Game. They did not want to change the rotation for their starters, so they are bringing Clay up on Friday and then will send him back down to the minors and return to their regularly scheduled rotation of Penny, Lester, Smoltz, Beckett and Wakefield.

Francona said Buchholz was selected for a variety of reasons, but part of that is rewarding him for his fantastic performance in the minor leagues so far.

“That’s part of it,” Francona said. “He’s very important to what we’re doing, obviously, in the future. I don’t that we would just do that. It lines up real well. It should benefit him and us.”

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Ever wonder what goes on in your old hometown?

Well, I don't really call Pawtucket my hometown, but my family moved there just before I entered 8th grade. I went to high school in the shadow of McCoy Stadium, went to a few games there (hopefully another later this month), and saw some 4th of July fireworks there, too.

I don't think of Pawtucket unless it has something to do with the Sox, and I found a story about the shady side of Pawtucket and one of the PawSox. It turns out that Clay Buchholz had 2 of his rims stolen off of his BMW when two Pawtucket men were caught in that act after being seen by a witness.

Ah, yes. Pawtucket. I told my father we should have tried to strike up a deal with the Sox! (Our family used to own a furniture store and rental properties, some furnished, just minutes from McCoy; and he's a Yankees fan. Sigh.)

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Buchholz Responds to Criticism

Earlier this week I posted the NECN interview where Clay Buchholz sounded very frustrated in his current situation and said some things he probably regrets. Yesterday WEEI caught up with Clay and asked him about the interview:

“My goal is to pitch in Boston,” Buchholz added. “[The media] might have went a little out of context with it because I’m getting a little frustrated, but on the up and up that’s where I want to be. Fenway is the best place to pitch and the Red Sox are the best team to play for. I don’t see me being anywhere else except for Boston, so that’s where I want to be.”

Buchholz apologized for any ruckus that the interview caused, and showed the same enthusiasm towards his eventual return to the big leagues that he did in spring training.

“That was a little bitterness coming out of me, but I can’t be too bitter,” said Buchholz. “I’m still pitching healthy and I’ll get my shot sooner or later.”

Great to see that he is on board with the team and is willing to do what it takes.

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Smoltz, Buchholz and Van Every

John Smoltz pitched 4 innings in his last rehab start with the PawSox tonight giving up 3 hits and a run on a homer. Buchholz came in after Smoltz excited and pitched 4 innings of his own giving up 2 runs and earning the win. The outing had to be frustrating for Buchholz knowing that Smoltz is on his way to joining the Red Sox while he remains with the PawSox indefinetly.

PawSox outfielder and Red Sox fill-in/pitcher Jonathan Van Every will undergo knee surgery and will be out at least 5 weeks. With Kotsay and Baldelli healthy it was unlikely that he would have been called up in that time but he did quickly become well liked by the fans in Boston.

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Buchholz Gets Pissy

Clay Buchholz is not happy with being in the minors and has talked to his agent about trying to get in the the majors with the Red Sox or another team. In the interview you don't hear much about Clay wanting to do what it takes to help the team; he clearly wants to pitch for any team and says he does't want to "waste bullets" in Pawtucket. Watch Below:



IMO the team gave him plenty of chances last season and does not owe him anything right now. I want him to be competitive and have a strong desire to succeed in the bigs but this talk of wanting to go elsewhere is crap. He needs to be a team player right now, and do what he is asked to do without whining about it.

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Buchholz Wins Again

Buchholz went seven innings giving up three runs on six hits, including a two-run homer in the win. He had 5 K's and no walks in the outing, throwing 82 pitches (57 for strikes.) With Smolz having just 2 rehab starts left before he returns and Buchholz pitching well, Penny's days in Boston might be numbered.

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Clay Buchholz pitches up a storm with the PawSox!

They say you can never have enough pitching. The Red Sox are hell bent on testing out that theory here in 2009. Yes, our current starting 5 has been a little shaky, but in the last couple of weeks they seem to be returning to form. Lester seems to be getting better with each outing. Beckett pitched a gem of a game before Pap came in and messed it all up. Daisuke Matsuzaka is back from reminding us why we hate the WBC and showing that he will return to form. Wake has been a rock star. And Brad Penny...he is even impressing me lately, which says an awful lot.

That seems like enough all on its own. But the list goes on. John Smoltz has been continuing his rehab starts through the minors. He said he feels good and like he would normally in Spring Training. He has stated he hopes to be ready to pitch for the Sox in the middle of June. It's May 26th today, so that is not far away at all. John Smoltz people!

Let's not forget our boys pitching up a storm in the minor leagues. Michael Bowden who we got to see for a few innings of relief pitching early in the year has been getting it done with the PawSox. He has a 2-2 record with a 1.64 ERA.

And, to the heart of this entry...we have Clay Buchholz. We know I am a fan. His stat line so far with the PawSox: a 3-0 record, a 1.30 ERA, 49 Ks over just over 48 innings pitched.

Clay got the start in yesterday's Memorial Day game. Clay held a no hitter until the 9th inning over Louisville until Danny Richar had to be a buzz kill and get a single off our until then perfect Buch. He ended up with a complete shutout game, 1 hitter, throwing 96 pitches, K-ing 7 batters.

Of course, flirting with a no-no is nothing new for Clay. He pitched a no hitter in September of 2007 when he was up with the Red Sox. He was the first Red Sox rookie in history to ever throw a no hitter. Clay reported that he was disappointed that he was not able to get those last 3 outs without allowing a hit. What Clay should be disappointed about is that he is still stuck down in the minors given how he is pitching. They said his control was SO good yesterday that only went to a 3 ball count ONCE.

So, that is our starting pitching....and I haven't even mentioned our bullpen which is the best in the business. Yes, you can never have too much pitching...I agree. However, it does raise some interesting questions:

What will the starting 5 be when John Smoltz is active and ready to go in a few weeks? Who is the odd man...or more likely odd men...out?

With Buchholz pitching like he is in AAA, how long before he gets called up? And if so, how is room made for him?

Are there pitching trades which are going to be made in order to get some of the position players we desire? If so, who? We've heard rumors of Buchholz, Manny Delcarmen and even Brad Penny.

Would Boston ever consider a 6 man rotation?

What is the likelihood of everyone on the pitching staff staying healthy throughout the course of the season?

I still say...with our pitching depth and the questions it raises, it is a still a GREAT PROBLEM TO HAVE!

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