Red Sox Pitcher Clay Buchholz Has Rocky First Start In Game Vs Indians

On Tuesday, usual Boston Red Sox starting pitcher David Price set the tone for the rest of the starters by striking out 10 batters over six innings in an Opening Day 6-2 win over the Cleveland Indians.

Red Sox Pitcher Clay Buchholz Has Rocky First Start In Game Vs Indians

Unfortunately, Price was not there to save the Red Sox the following day. Clay Buchholz took his place in Wednesday’s rematch against the Indians, which the Red Sox lost 7-6, delivering a dud and failing to record a single out in the fifth inning.

Buchholz also gave up five runs, three walks and six hits at Progressive Field in Cleveland on Wednesday, including a three-run homer by Carlos Santana in the first inning.

“I think most of [the problem] was fastball location,” Buchholz stated. “I threw some really good off-speed pitches for first pitches, and they had some good takes. But other than that [four-run] first inning, I felt pretty good with the way I threw.”

This is not the first time right-hander Buchholz, 31, has delivered such a lackluster performance in a game. In his second start last season, he was pounded for nine earned runs and nine hits in 3 1/3 innings at Yankee Stadium, then rebounded with a 16-start stretch in which he posted a 2.80 ERA (earned run average).

This inconsistency, coupled with his fragility–Buchholz has been injured several times since 2010, and has thus been forced to miss a large chunk of each season since then–was the reason the Red Sox needed to add and relied on Price so much in the first place.

“I tried to get them to mishit some balls on change-ups and curves early in the count,” later added Buchholz. “There were pitches that I wanted to throw that were balls where I usually get weak contact and some swings and misses, but they didn’t offer at them. It left me behind on the count for the most part and I had to throw strikes with the fastball that I wasn’t commanding all that well. That’s how it goes.”

It also seems as if Buchholz’s signature change-up is related to his performance. For example, Santana’s homer in Wednesday’s game came on a fastball that, as Buchholz said, “leaked over the middle” of the plate. In the fourth inning, however, after he struck out Cleveland rookie Tyler Naquin, his change-up finally began to show.

“It was more location,” Red Sox manager John Farrell said. “Early on in the game, particularly the first inning, he fell behind in the count on a number of guys, ran his pitch count up. And some pitches were elevated for strikes. [The Indians] did not miss here tonight.”

The Sox will now turn to Joe Kelly in their pitching rotation. Kelly, 27, is scheduled to start against the Indians in the series finale on Thursday night. Right-hander Rick Porcello will start the series opener Friday night against the Blue Jays in Toronto.

“Everybody’s just going to do their part,” Price said. “When you put extra pressure on yourself, that’s when nothing is ever good enough. Guys just have to go out there, be yourself and throw your game.”

PHOTO: FORT MYERS, FL – MARCH 16: Clay Buchholz #11 of the Boston Red Sox pitches during the first inning of the Spring Training Game against the Minnesota Twins on March 16, 2016 at CenturyLink Sports Complex and Hammond Stadium, Fort Myers, Florida. (Photo by Leon Halip/Getty Images)