May 11, 2013; Boston, MA USA; Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Clay Buchholz (11) pitches during the first inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports

Buchholz started off the game very strong, but ran into trouble in the third and fourth innings. Melky Cabrera‘s RBI bloop single to score Colby Rasmus from second capped the rally in the third while an RBI single from Rasmus would score Adam Lind to put the Blue Jays up 2-0. Buchholz settled down from then on and wound up stringing together a pretty strong outing. He went 8 innings, allowing just those 2 runs on 6 hits and 3 walks while punching out a total of 4 and getting away with a no-decision.

The Red Sox bats also started the game off fairly strong, putting two men on base in each of the first three innings. In that fourth inning, however, Mark Buehrle settled into an incredible groove and set down each of the next 13 batters with ease. The streak was broken when David Ross worked a nine pitch walk to lead off the eighth.

That would drive Buehrle from the game in favor of Darren Oliver and on Oliver’s second pitch, Jacoby Ellsbury blasted a triple over Colby Rasmus’s head in center field. Ellsbury would score when shortstop Munemori Kawasaki couldn’t come up with a soft ground ball hit by Dustin Pedroia. Ellsbury raced across the plate to tie the game at 2-2, but that was all the Red Sox got in the inning.

Newly announced closer Junichi Tazawa came on to pitch the ninth inning, and ran into trouble almost immediately. His 2-2 fastball to Adam Lind was crushed over the wall to dead center to give the Blue Jays a 3-2 advantage. Tazawa managed to get out of the inning with only that run scoring and Will Middlebrooks doubled to lead off the bottom of the ninth. There was hope and excitement in the atmosphere until closer Casey Janssen induced a pop-out, fly-out, and ground-out to end the game and tie the series at one apiece.

After a brilliant outing against the cellar-dwelling Toronto Blue Jays, a pair of Jays announcers went out on a limb to accuse Clay Buchholz of doctoring his pitches. I’m sure that Jack Morris and Dirk Hayhurst are well-respected within the Toronto broadcasting community; however they may have gone too far with this one. Buchholz is putting together a Cy Young type season for Boston and was just named American League Player of the Month, yet it seems that his critics will do anything to stop him in his tracks.

May 1, 2013; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Boston Red Sox pitcher starting Clay Buchholz (11) throws against the Toronto Blue Jays at the Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports

As far as these accusations go, it’s a low blow by a pair of former pitchers who can’t bear to watch their team get rocked night in and night out. Buchholz has pitched himself to a league leading six wins not to mention a 1.01 ERA in six games started. But apparently both Hayhurst and Morris didn’t do their research on the lanky right-hander, as he has always been filthy, but in the good way. All the broadcasters had to do was look back to 2010 when Buchholz had 2.33 ERA in 173.2 innings pitched, good for sixth place finish in Cy Young voting.

Hall of Famer Dennis Eckersley was quick to jump to the 28-year-old’s defense. Eckersley began his on air attack by calling into question the reputations of these guys, at one point calling Hayhurst a career minor league pitcher. While these reputation attacks might be well founded, they were out-of-order, but it is Eckersley’s defense of the Sox hurler that should matter. Eckersley pointed out that spitballs have wild, unpredictable movement to them, but Buchholz succeeds with pinpoint command and his ability to ‘paint’ the strike zone.

Apr 7, 2013; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Boston Red Sox manager John Farrell in the dugout prior to a game against the Toronto Blue Jays at the Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports

Hayhurst and Morris’ main complaint was the ‘evidence’ of some white, pasty substance on Buchholz’s arm. Both of the former big-leaguers obviously know about the presence of the rosin bag behind the mound, which is designed to afford the pitcher some grip on the baseball.  Sox Manager John Farrell similarly jumped to this conclusion in defense of his ace pitcher, stating “rosin was designed to get a grip… [Buchholz's] got it on his arm.” Buchholz himself came out in defense of his general use of the chalky powder:

Put rosin on my arm throughout the game. Sweat, water, whatever…Sometimes I put a little thing of water on my hip just to get moisture on your hands. Cause sometimes the balls that they throw to you feel like cue balls off a pool table. Got to find a way to get grip. But yeah, I mean, definitely no foreign objects or substances on my arm.

Rosin is a perfectly legal part of the game, pitchers these days may even be encouraged to use it. Unfortunately no one other than Clay Buchholz knows whether he was doing something illegal, and he maintains that he was complying with all of MLB’s rules and regulations. In today’s game there are any number of people on the field who would call a pitcher out on such use, the hitters are going to know that something is up, as is the umpiring crew and both dugouts. There simply isn’t anyway that a pitcher could get away with something like that. These accusations are unfounded and slanderous. Chances are Morris and Hayhurst are upset that Buchholz stymied the hapless Blue Jays and were looking for some excuse other than that their team was simply overpowered by an excellent young pitcher.

Clay Buccholz has arrived.

He was the first pitcher in MLB to win six games and is now 6-0; his 44 2/3 innings are tops in baseball, and his 1.01 ERA is pacing the American League.

(more…)

April 20, 2013; Boston, MA USA; Boston Red Sox pitcher Clay Buchholz (11) pitches during the game against the Kansas City Royals at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports

Apr 7, 2013; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Jon Lester (31) pitches to the Toronto Blue Jays at the Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports

Combined, Jon Lester and Clay Buchholz are 9-0 with a 1.73 ERA. Their stat lines are so similar as to be nearly indistinguishable from one another. Lester has been very, very good. Buchholz has been dominant. Lester’s 28 strikeouts, 1.11 WHIP and 10 walks rank him among AL league leaders in pitching efficiency. Buchholz’s 39 Ks – second only to a surprisingly high 43 for Ryan Dempster, 1.01 WHIP and 13 walks and one additional win currently gives him the edge over Lester.

In the AL, Buchholz is tied with the Rays’ Matt Moore, who is also 5-0, for most wins. Moore has an even better ERA of 1.13 and WHIP of 0.88. Buchholz and Lester are in the top 20 in nearly every statistically significant category. When combined, they are ranked 1 and 3 respectively in the AL.

It’s true that this can’t keep going forever but their combined quick starts have been an oh so pleasant turnaround from the 2012 season. Keys for success going forward for Buchholz will be continued health, unlike his injury-plagued season last year. Lester has always enjoyed good health. Key to keeping it going for him will be staying focused, even in the face of bad calls, that last year led to mental letdowns and resulting shellings.

Yes, Dan, Lester and Buccholz are wrecking your fantasy league but right now they’re making my real-time watching delicious.

The Boston offense got off to a hot start, jumping all over Houston’s Phillip Humber in the first. Four Red Sox would cross home plate in the inning, with RBI base hits by Dustin Pedroia, David Ortiz, Mike Carp, and Jarrod Saltalamacchia.

April 20, 2013; Boston, MA USA; Boston Red Sox pitcher Clay Buchholz (11) pitches during the game against the Kansas City Royals at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports

That would be more than enough for Buchholz, who managed to limit threats in both the second and third to just one run each inning. Also of note, Buchholz was able to keep the ball on the ground for the solid Sox defense to gobble up, recording eight ground ball outs throughout the night.

In the 3rd, David Ortiz lead off the inning with his first blast of 2013, driving the Lucas Harrell fastball over the wall in center. Ortiz would cap off the night with another hit in the fifth, raising his season average to a robust .550.

Other notable offensive performances from the night include Mike Carp (2-4, RBI, 2 R) and Dustin Pedroia (1-3, BB, RBI), both of whom added to their successful starts to 2013.

Tomorrow, the Sox will continue to get acquainted with their new American League counterparts in game 2 of the series. The Astros will send former Oriole, Erik Bedard to the hill (5-4, 4.25 ERA career against the Sox), while the Sox will start Ryan Dempster (3.38 ERA, 12.38 K/9). Game start

A pitching duel looked likely coming into the ballgame as Clay Buchholz (3-0, 0.41) faced James Shields (1-2, 3.43) and a pitching duel was what we got. Neither team scored until the fifth inning on an RBI single by Royals’ right fielder Jeff Franceour, and it was low scoring throughout. Buchholz wound up getting the win in the game, his fourth of the year, as he allowed 2 runs in 8 innings, raisinghis ERA to a still minuscule 0.90. Shields was equally good for his outing, allowing just a run in 6 strong innings to lower his ERA to 3.00 in a no-decision.

Apr 8, 2013; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Red Sox left fielder Daniel Nava (29) rounds the bases after hitting a three run home run during the seventh inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

It wasn’t until later in the game that the Red Sox really burst out offensively, as they were down 2-1 entering the bottom of the eighth. In a questionable move, Jonny Gomes came in to pinch-hit for Shane Victorino, but it worked out admirably as Gomes doubled high off the monster. After Dustin Pedroia walked, David Ortiz grounded into a double play to complicate matters with Gomes on third and two outs. Flame-throwing Kelvin Herrera came on the pitch from there and walked Mike Napoli on four pitches. The real damage in the inning, however, came on a 2-1 pitch to Daniel Nava. Nava stroked a changeup from Herrera on a line right into the glove of Koji Uehara in the Red Sox bullpen for a three-run homer.

The game was still far from over, though, as Andrew Bailey had far from a spot-free outing. He allowed a leadoff home run to Lorenzo Cain, who had a remarkable game as he went 4-4 with 3 runs scored, 2 doubles, and a home run. It eventually came down to Bailey versus Alex Gordon with 2 men on base, 2 outs, and a 2-2 count. Gordon hit a routine ground ball to shortstop and the crowd erupted as Stephen Drew threw on to first to end the game and send the fans home happy with a seven game winning streak after a wonderful baseball game.

Apr 14, 2013; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Clay Buchholz (11) throws a pitch against the Tampa Bay Rays during the first inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

In the eighth inning Buchholz busted Kelly Johnson inside and, as luck would have it, a broken bat lame duck floated into right field to break up the no-no. A double play erased Johnson and Sam Fuld. Buchholz got out of the inning after a double by Desmond Jennings and a fly out by Ben Zobrist.

Boston’s offense had a big third inning assisted by some sloppy Rays defense to put the Rays in a 4-0 hole that they never dug out of.

In the third Mike Napoli doubled deep to the corner of the 420 marker in center field to score Jacoby Ellsbury (single) and Shane Victorino (single) with the bases loaded. Stephen Drew followed with what should have been a routine ground out but Rays shortstop Yunel Escobar threw wildly to first base to score both Napoli and Daniel Nava.

Buccholz didn’t need more than that. he was sharp all day, even when getting into a scrape in the sixth when he walked both Fuld and Zobrist. Buchholz bore down, getting Evan Longoria to fly out to Victorino, advancing Fuld to third base, and got Matt Joyce to ground out to Napoli with Buchholz covering to end the inning.

The Red Sox picked up another run in the eighth on a double by Dustin Pedroia, who advanced to third on a Napoli ground out, and a Will Middlebrooks sac fly.

Andrew Miller, who replaced Buchholz, nailed down the win in the ninth.

The Red Sox have a chance to sweep the series on Patriots Day, an 11:05 start featuring Ryan Dempster (0-1, 3.60) for the Sox and Jeremy Hellickson (0-1, 6.35) for the Rays. The Red Sox head to Cleveland for a quick three-game series before returning to Fenway for a long home stand starting April 19 against the Royals, Athletics and Astros.

Apr 3, 2013; Bronx, NY, USA; Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Clay Buchholz (11) pitches during the first inning against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports

Shane Victorino (2-5, RBI) was at the center of the offensive exploits, starting the 2nd inning off with a line drive that drilled Hiroki Kuroda in his throwing hand. Kuroda tried to pitch through the pain, but eventually succumbed following two hit-by-pitches, including one to Jackie Bradley Jr. Replacing Kuroda (1.1 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 1 K, 1 BB) was Cody Eppley, who wasn’t any more successful. Saltalamacchia (2-5, RBI) started things off with a single, and later moved to second following a wild pitch. After a Middlebrooks strikeout, the wheels came off for Eppley, allowing three straight hits, RBI singles to Shane Victorino and Jackie Bradley Jr. (his first career hit) and a double to the surprisingly hot Jose Iglesias. Jacoby Ellsbury capped off the inning with another RBI single, giving the Sox a comfortable 6-0 lead.

That was all Clay Buchholz needed, as he was phenomenal in his seven innings of work. Other than a fourth inning solo shot to Travis Hafner, Buchholz was flawless, striking out four and allowing only six hits. Throughout the night, the Yankees could never seem to get anything going and Buchholz’s quickened pace was a welcome change to his previously painstakingly slow time between pitches. Whether that has any influence on how he pitches remains to be seen but from a pure viewing standpoint, his pace and excellent stuff was more than enough to keep this writer entertained and focused throughout the game.

Although Alfredo Aceves made things interesting in the eighth, allowing a three-run home run to newly acquired Vernon Wells, equally newly acquired Joel Hanrahan closed the game out and recorded his first save in a Sox uniform.

Also adding to the Sox offensive output were and Daniel Nava (2-3, BB, RBI) and Dustin Pedroia (2-5, RBI), producing out of the second and third spots in the lineup, respectively.

Tomorrow, the Sox go for the Opening Series sweep, with Ryan Dempster making his regular season debut. Countering the native Canadian is long-time Yankee left-hander, Andy Pettitte. Game time is 7:05 p.m.

Mar 7, 2013; Fort Myers, FL, USA; Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Clay Buchholz (11) throws during a spring training game against the Minnesota Twins at Hammond Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

Junichi Tazawa would have an interesting line on the day. In two innings he gave up two runs despite not allowing a single hit.

The bats were rather quiet today. Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Jacoby Ellsbury, and Will Middlebrooks would each record three total bases on the day.

The best performance was undoubtedly the one given by Buchholz. He is being counted on to be the number two starter on this staff. In order to do that he’ll have to avoid the DL, keep the ERA and WHIP down, and finally eclipse the 200 inning plateau for the first time in his career. If he carries this current momentum into the regular season, I like those chances.

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Mar 7, 2013; Fort Myers, FL, USA; Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Clay Buchholz (11) throws in the first inning during a spring training game against the Minnesota Twins at Hammond Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

Offensively, the Red Sox got off to a fast start, scoring two in the first inning off Bucs’ starter, James McDonald. Highlighting the first inning offensive charge was Shane Victorino, who lead off the game with a triple, and Ryan Lavarnway, who contributed a two RBI single. However, the Sox offense stagnated the rest of the game, collecting only four hits and were unable to score another run until the ninth.

Compounding the paucity of runs was another rough outing by the bullpen. After admitting a leadoff walk, Chris Carpenter allowed a two-run home run that put the Pirates back up 3-2.

The Red Sox play next against the Baltimore Orioles, with newcomer Ryan Dempster scheduled to toe the rubber for the Sox. Game time at 1:35 p.m. ET

——————————————————————–

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Just Ask Earl is a new feature that Bosox Injection is pleased to present. Esteemed BSI Senior Writer and certified baseball junkie Earl Nash will answer your questions related to baseball: rating prospects, fantasy trade advice, baseball cards, history, pitching techniques, strategy, rules, Red Sox issues, HOF candidates, MLB policies–you name it. If you can think it up, Earl will answer your questions.

Send your questions to  bosoxinjection@gmail.com and Earl will publish the questions and answers on the Bosox Injection site, ensuring that you get your 15 minutes of fame.

The other main takeaways from this one include three strong and spotless innings for Clay Buchholz who, so far this spring, has been a step behind some of the other starting pitchers.  Buchholz threw 38 pitches, 31 for strikes with four K’s and had two tidy eight pitch innings.

Mar 7, 2013; Fort Myers, FL, USA; Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Clay Buchholz (11) throws in the first inning during a spring training game against the Minnesota Twins at Hammond Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

This is extremely encouraging news as it cannot be stressed enough that Buchholz must be a big time pitcher this year if team success is to follow.

Daniel Bard also had a very good outing with an inning of work featuring him striking out the side in the sixth.  It was his first action this spring versus a major league lineup.  Allen Webster finished up with an impressive final three innings with five K’s.

The one negative was Joel Hanrahan, who got bombed in one-third of an inning as he gave up four hits and four earned runs.  But Hanrahan may have an excuse as, according to Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe, Joel’s wife is scheduled to deliver their first child on Monday.  So let’s wait before we make any snap judgements.

August 31, 2012; Oakland, CA, USA; Boston Red Sox relief pitcher Daniel Bard (51) pitches the ball against the Oakland Athletics during the sixth inning at O.co Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

It may seem obvious, but overall the pitching seems to be improving on a daily basis.  Key guys like Bard and Buchholz got themselves on the right track today and that is huge.

If the Sox can pitch this way coming into the start of the season they will gain enormous confidence out of the gate.  The result should be that they will set themselves up for a good season.  With John Farrell and Juan Nieves leading the way with their wealth of pitching knowledge, it has to make everyone feel good at this point in the spring.

February 28, 2013; Bradenton, FL, USA; Boston Red Sox outfielder Juan Carlos Linares (75) hits a RBI single during the third inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at McKechnie Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

The Red Sox got half of their offense with one out in the second inning. That was when J.C. Linares went yard off Twins’ prospect Kyle Gibson. Linares added on to what’s been a very strong spring so far for the 27 year old outfielder, as he has batted .429/.467/.643 in 15 plate appearances so far. Shortly after Buchholz got that little offensive boost, he was relieved by Alfredo Aceves, who went on to post a very strong outing.

It was vintage Aceves in Ft. Myers today as the swingman went 3.2 innings out of the bullpen in his last appearance before leaving to pitch for Mexico in the World Baseball Classic. In those 3.2 innings, he allowed five hits and struck out three, with his only real mistake being a fourth inning home run surrendered to Justin Morneau.

Aceves would wind up being the winner after receiving some run support on a fifth inning rally. Twins reliever Esmerling Vazquez’s control escaped him when he walked back-to-back men. Those walks came back to haunt him when Ryan Sweeney blooped a single over second baseman Jamey Carroll‘s head to score Jonathan Diaz from second base.

There was excellent pitching even after the departure of Aceves due in part to an impeccable appearance by prospect Allen Webster. Webster went three full innings, allowing two hits and a walk while striking out two and allowing no runs, leaving Webster with a 1.80 ERA and 6 strikeouts in 5 innings this spring. Jose de la Torre came in to pitch a perfect ninth inning in his last game before leaving to pitch for Puerto Rico in the WBC. This win pushes the Red Sox over the .500 mark for the first time this spring at 5-4.

Oct 1, 2012; Bronx, NY, USA; Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Clay Buchholz (11) pitches during the first inning against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports

At the time of the Feb. 12 injury both Boston Manager John Farrell and Buchholz described the injury as trivial, a minor setback. 20 days later as Buchholz prepares for this first Grapefruit League appearance the elephant in the room nagging question is can he stay healthy?

To paraphrase Dan Aykroyd on Saturday Night Live’s Point/Counterpoint skit from the 70′s, Buchholz has been on the DL during the his career with “the frequency of a cheap ham radio.” To further the SNL analogies, there’s this quote from Gilda Radner’s Roseanne Roseannadanna character: “If it’s not one thing, it’s another.”

He’s had freak accidents (torn fingernail) and serious injuries (micro fractures in his back) that we now know is a chronic condition that will need to be managed and makes one wonder about the 28-year old’s long-term durability.

I like Clay Buchholz. He keeps his trap shut and pitches. No drama, no controversy, no BS. He’s a pro. It’s just that the guy can’t seem to stay healthy. When he’s on he’s a key component of the Red Sox’ pitching success. During a healthy 2010 season Buchholz was 17-7 with a 2.33 ERA. But in order to be on you have to be in and there’s been too little of that lately.

In six major league seasons Buchholz has averaged 17 starts. During his full seasons from 2008 through 2012 he has averaged 9 wins against 5 losses. During that span his ERA was 4.27. Overall the numbers are low volume and output.

Baseball more than any other sport is driven by numbers and the numbers don’t lie. If the Red Sox can live with injuries and a career .544 winning percentage (discounting his 2007 rookie year in which he didn’t play a full season) fine. Boston’s management and fans simply need to know what they’ve signed up for.

And everybody hurts sometimes
And everybody hurts sometimes
So, hold on, hold on
Hold on, hold on
- Everybody Hurts, R.E.M. 

Aug 22, 2012; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Clay Buchholz (11) pitches against the Los Angeles Angels during the second inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Mark L. Baer-USA TODAY Sports

According to reporters on site, Buchholz looked pretty sharp aside from some control issues that are bound to pop up in the first live pitching of the year. Buchholz stated that apart from some kinks in his delivery and his stretch, he’s ready to go. He should still have five or more starts this spring and should absolutely be ready for the start of the season in New York on April 1. Buchholz will likely throw a bullpen tomorrow and should start a game in the next week.

If the Red Sox contend this year, they’ll need to have a fully healthy Buchholz. If he can pitch like he did from June-September of 2012, he should be a solid starter, as he put up a 3.36 ERA and 7-5 record in those months. So long as he is healthy, he should pitch like that, as he has every other time he’s been healthy in his career from 2009 on. Hopefully we’ll see him in spring training sooner rather than later, and he’ll be 100% for Opening Day.

It’s the best case scenario. If you had to have a hamstring injury, it’s the best one. I’ll get some treatment on it for the next couple of days, and I shouldn’t be out very long.”

September 20, 2012; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Clay Buchholz (11) in the dugout between inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Buchholz will enter the 2013 season as arguably the best pitcher on the staff and certainly one of the leaders in the rotation. A lingering back injury hurt his early season numbers and brought him down to a 11-8 record and 4.56 ERA overall, but after mid-May he was a solid arm every fifth day. Should Buchholz stay healthy for the entire season, it’s likely that he could put up a sub-4.00 ERA and around 15 wins.

In total, this injury is not one to get worked up over. It sounds very mild, and he should be back well before the Red Sox begin their first exhibition games. Entering the year at age 28, this is a key season for Buchholz where he ought to be a major leader on a staff that looks difficult to predict entering the season. It doesn’t look like this hamstring strain is a big deal, but hopefully it doesn’t pave the way to worse injuries.

(more…)

Feb 25, 2012; Fort Myers FL, USA; Boston Red Sox president chief executive officer Larry Lucchino (left), owner John W. Henry (center), and chairman Thomas Werner (right) hold a press conference prior to spring training at JetBlue Park. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-US PRESSWIRE

Not having posted my usual weekly column in about three weeks due to vacation and a persistent lack of willpower due to RedSox-itis – the symptoms of which include repeated kicks to the solar plexus causing pain, loss of wind and a finger that just can’t stop pointing – I knew I had to man up today and face the music. If only the team could do the same.

And Now Back To Another Installment of “As My Gut Churns”…
We now know that nearly three weeks ago Adrian Gonzalez and other frustrated Red Sox players fired off a text message to Sox owners Larry Lucchino and John Henry, apparently incensed after Bobby Valentine left Jon Lester in a July 22, 11-run beat down. The usually quiet Gonzo was among the most vocal critics of Valentine along with Dustin Pedroia.

The meeting, attended by some but not all Red Sox players, underscored another issue with the club; those in the camp that are purportedly scapegoating Valentine to deflect attention away from their own sub-par performance and those that will have none of it.

The meeting was held, grievances were aired and as GM Ben Cherington later told the media, “The intent of the meeting was to provide a forum for people to express whatever frustration needed to be expressed at a time during the season when things were not going exactly the way we wanted to on the field in hopes that we could put whatever issues were there aside and focus on playing games the rest of the season.” (as reported by Yahoo! Sports Jeff Passen).

They had the meeting, Cherington and Boston brass hoped that getting this out in the open would ignite a fire and a late season streak would ensue. Three weeks later it’s apparent that the meeting did not have the desired effect.

Meanwhile Back On The Baseball Field…
Clay Buchholz continued to chug along, amassing a 10-3 record while lowering his ERA to a respectable 4.19. He achieved this over the past three weeks with one great complete game outing and one solid, gutsy performance in Baltimore on Thursday night.

Pedro Ciriaco continued to impress in the field and at bat (.316, .414, .609). He DH’d for a still injured David Ortiz (prediction, Papi is gone for the year), played second, short and third and was in the offensive mix. What’s not to like about this guy?

Jon Lester had one very good outing over the past three weeks. Josh Beckett had zero.

Scott Podsednik was traded to the Arizona Diamondbacks as part of the Matt Albers deal, was released by the D Backs and picked back up off the waiver wire by the Sox. Tonight Scotty Pods is playing right field in Yankee Stadium. In 25 games for the Red Sox, Podsednik is batting .384 with a .410 OBP and .479 slugging percentage. Hint; hold on to this guy at least until the end of the year.

Will Middlebrooks suffered a broken wrist on August 11, went on the DL but reportedly will not need surgery and today was spotted performing fielding drills with a cast on.

Boston dropped two of three against the Orioles this week in Baltimore to kick off the stretch run to the end of the season. Oh how times have changed. Who would have thought that the perceived aberration at the end of the 2011 season would become a trend in 2012.

When World’s Collide…
What’s are the two common threads that bind these two worlds together?
1. The inmates are spending more energy running or at least attempting to run the asylum.
2. Front office management isn’t managing.

Players: Take care of business on the field and everything else takes care of itself. If you were in first place looking 12.5 games down on the Yankees right now your team spirit-crippling issues would be mere blips on the radar.
Owners: When you send a letter to Red Sox Nation stating that “We want to play October baseball”, mean it. Larry Lucchino published a July 13 letter shortly after the All-Star break stating just that. What happened? Zero, zilch, nada. Matt Albers and Scott Podsednik for Craig Breslow (the left-handed Matt Albers) was the move that was going to turn things around and put the team over the top?

Lack of will, lack of trust, lack of leadership and lack of respect distracted the team at a critical juncture in the season. NESN broadcasting duo  Don Orsillo and Jerry Remy said during game one of the Yankees series Friday night that they believed it had all blown over and that the team, owners and Valentine had more respect for one another. A 6-4 New York win Friday night contradicts that statement.

Didn’t you know 
I was waiting on you
Waiting on a dream 
That’ll never come true
Didn’t you know 
I was waiting on you
My face turnt to stone
When I heard the news
- Real Bad News, Kanye West 

There will not be any more scenes like this in 2012 for Will Middlebrooks and the Red Sox. Aug 10, 2012; Cleveland, OH, USA; Boston Red Sox right fielder Cody Ross (right) celebrates his two-run home run with second baseman Dustin Pedroia (center) and third baseman Will Middlebrooks (64) in the sixth inning against the Cleveland Indians at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-US PRESSWIRE

The season of the snakebite continued last night for the Boston Red Sox. Amidst a great performance by Clay Buchholz was more sobering news about an injury that will further hobble the club through the remainder of the of the 2012 campaign.

Will Middlebrooks dug in against Indians righty Esmil Roper in the ninth. With the count 2-0, Roper threw a 96-mph fastball middle in – way in – to Middlebrooks, hitting him squarely on his right wrist. Middlebrooks’ reaction revealed everything needed to know. He ran from the plate holding his wrist bobbing up and down, his grimacing face telling the story. He was removed immediately from the game. It would only be a matter of time before x-rays would confirm that Middlebrooks had indeed broken his wrist.

Middlebrooks became Boston’s 24 player to go on the DL this year. It was Boston’s 28th time they’d sent a player to the DL in 2012.

Middlebrooks’ injury may open the door for Danny Valencia, who the Sox obtained from the Twins on Aug 5. Valencia is a career .260 hitter over parts of three seasons but has been hitting only .198 this season. He has played two games for Pawtucket since the trade.

Gloom, despair, and agony on me
Deep, dark depression, excessive misery
If it weren’t for bad luck, I’d have no luck at all
Gloom, despair, and agony on me
- Gloom, Despair, And Agony On Me, Buck Owens and Roy Clark 

Aug 10, 2012; Cleveland, OH, USA; Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Clay Buchholz (left) is congratulated by designated hitter David Ortiz (34) after his complete game win over the Cleveland Indians at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-US PRESSWIRE

There are times during a lousy season, even in the midst of a particularly terrible stretch of baseball, when you can’t help but get caught up in a special performance. It’s the most delicious of escapes. Your team has consistently let you down all year but for, in the his case, 2 hours and 40 minutes you suspend belief that your team is for all intents and purposes not playing October baseball and revel in the excellence.

The 2012 Red Sox are a very ordinary and sometimes maddeningly self- flagellating bunch. Big change needs to happen to shake up the team and it appears the starting gun was fired today. Shortly before game time at Progressive Field as the Sox looked to snap a three-game losing streak it was announced that Boston had placed Mike Aviles, Carl Crawford, Nick Punto and Kelly Shoppach on waivers.

Thus the stage was set for Clay Buchholz who responded in a big way, tossing a two-hit, two-run, complete game win. After starting off by giving up a solo homer in the first to Asdrubal Cabrera, Buchholz went to work in earnest. Save for a fielding error by Dustin Pedroia and a throwing error by Aviles on the same play in the sixth inning that allowed another run, Buchholz was in control.

It took Buchholz just 104 pitches – 72 for strikes – to bag the win. His control and pitch placement were spot on and he had his full arsenal of pitches working for him. He retired the last 12 Indians in a row and 18 of the last 19 batters he faced.

Many Cleveland hitters looked helpless against Buchholz, who struck out six and walked none. Since the All-Star break Buchholz is 2-1 with a 1.79 ERA and continues to be Boston’s bright spot in the starting rotation.

Boston tied the game in the fourth when Pedroia singled to score Aviles. Cody Ross put the Sox up 3-1 with a two-run bomb in the sixth after Pedroia had singled. That’s all Buchholz would need.

The game essentially meant next to nothing. Yet there I was pulling for Buchholz and the Sox in the ninth and celebrating when Boston’s righty moved his record to a very respectable 9-3. Addiction is a terrible thing.

Downer of the Night:
Will Middlebrooks getting hit by a pitch on the wrist in the top of the ninth and getting removed from the game.