Clay Buchholz has had an interesting major league career – but any way you look at it – he has a bright MLB future ahead of him.

In 2007, Buchholz made 4 appearances for the Red Sox at the end of the season.  In his 2nd career start on September 1st, 2007, he tossed a no-hitter (the Red Sox franchise’s 17th no-hitter) against the Baltimore Orioles.  He ended up with a 1.59 ERA and a 1.06 WHIP and the Red Sox organization was already penciling him in as the Red Sox 5th starter for 2008.  But something happened in the off-season.

Buchholz was not the same pitcher in 2008 as he struggled all year long – in 15 starts, Buchholz finished with a 6.75 ERA, 1.76 WHIP and a disappointing 2-9 record.  He struggled with his control – 41 walks in 76 innings – and he lost all confidence in his pitching ability.  Had the Red Sox rushed him too quickly?  Was the pressure of the no-hitter too much to bear?  What should he do?

Buchholz took it upon himself to better himself and work as hard as he could to get back to the major league level at some point during the 2009 MLB schedule.  Buchholz pitched in the Arizona Fall League while the Red Sox were battling the Angels and the Rays in the 2008 playoffs.  Buchholz was working hard all off-season to fight for a starting pitcher spot for the club.  Buchholz ignored the Red Sox free agent signings of Brad Penny and John Smoltz who the Red Sox hoped would return to form after dealing with lingering arm issues.  Buchholz set about his business and his hard work paid off in 2009.

Penny was good, but not great.  Smoltz was bad.  Both pitchers threw too many pitches early in the game, leaving the bullpen saddled with too many long outings during the long MLB season.  So the Red Sox called upon Buchholz in mid-July to become that consistent starter they were in search of.  And boy did he deliver.

Buchholz threw 92 innings in 16 starts with a solid 4.21 ERA and a 1.38 WHIP.  He won 7 games against 4 losses and although he was still a bit shaky in some starts (he gave up 6 ER or more in 4 starts), he was mostly good winning several important games along the way as the Red Sox qualified for post-season play for the 5th time in 6 years.  In 2 of his other 12 starts, Buchholz gave up just 3ER, but in the other 10 starts he gave up 2ER or less.  When you have stats like that, you are going to win a lot of games and you are putting your team in a position to win a lot of games as well.

Manager Terry Francona summed it up best: “We’ve got a young pitcher who came up halfway through the season and wasn’t just a good young pitcher – - he was a good pitcher.  Now, it helped us win a lot of games.  I know I said this numerous times because I believe it and I bet Theo does too.  Not only did it help us win games, but it helped make our organization a lot healthier.  You can take young pitchers and kind of plug them into your future.  And like we said, it makes the glass a lot fuller.  It’s exciting.”

The confidence that Francona and GM Epstein instilled in Buchholz went a long way for his psyche:  “I’m more relaxed now.  I feel like I did a little better job this year as far as being a little bit more consistent and showing these guys that this is where I feel I belong.  It’s going to feel good going into Spring Training knowing that I actually have a legitimate shot to be on this team instead of hoping and wanting.  If I go off and do my work in the offseason like I should, I think the job is there for me.”

Buchholz showed his worth in Game 3 of the ALDS against the Angels.  With the Red Sox facing a must-win game, Francona tabbed Buchholz with the start and he left the game with a 5-2 lead after pitching 5 innings of 2-run ball.  He gave up just 6 hits and 1 walk against a patient Angels team, and if not for a total collapse by Billy Wagner and Jonathan Papelbon in the 8th and 9th innings, Buchholz would have been credited with his 1st career playoff win that kept the Red Sox playoff hopes alive.  We’re certain that we’ll be  seeing a lot more quality starts out of Buchholz at Fenway Park in the very near future…

After rumors started swirling about Red Sox pitching coach John Farrell possibly leaving Boston for the Cleveland Indians Manager post, Farrell made it official on Wednesday that he is staying right where he is.  “It’s an honor to be considered for the job… Especially for a team that I played for, my father played for and where there are so many people that I know and respect.  All those things considered, my desire is to fulfill the commitment between Boston and myself.”  Farrell does have a clause in his contract that prohibits him from leaving Boston for a major league managerial position until after the 2010 MLB schedule.  Although several insiders have indicated that the Red Sox would have waived the provision, it appears that Farrell is content with his current position.

Farrell pitched for the Indians and was a farm director for the organization.  Farrell has been instrumental in developing the Red Sox pitching staff since taking over duties pitching coach duties for Manager Terry Francona in 2004.  He has helped the likes of Jon Lester, Jonathan Papelbon, Clay Buchholz and Justin Masterson, just to name a few, to mature and develop to become consistent, effective pitchers at the major league level.

Reality has finally sunk in for several Red Sox players.  After a tumultuous season, the Red Sox felt good going into the 2009 post-season.  They finished strong at home winning their final 4 games at Fenway Park, and they set up their rotation to go with their 2 best pitchers in Games 1 and 2 on the road – Jon Lester and Josh Beckett.  Plus, they were playing a team they had never lost a series to in the post-season – the Angels.  The Red Sox had knocked off the Angels in the ALDS in each of 2004, 2007 and 2008, holding the Angels to just 1 win in 10 games of those 3 series.  Life was good, right?

Well not exactly.  Just as it had happened a few times during the course of the regular season MLB schedule, the Red Sox offense went flat.  The Red Sox had only 7 total hits and 1 run during the 1st 2 games of the series in Anaheim, and although the  team scored 6 runs in Sunday’s elimination loss, the team managed just a total of 7 hits during the course of the game.  You can’t win a series if you don’t hit.

And while the pitching was good, it wasn’t great.  Lester, Beckett and Buchholz each pitched well in their starts, but it just wasn’t enough in tight ball games.

Terry Francona had this to say about the loss: “Normally when the season’s over you’re either exhausted or beat up.  We knew all along this year that there were times we were a little beat up, and we’d take our lumps, move on and try to get to the postseason.  So we were really careful to try and position ourselves when we got here so we would be healthy… It’s frustrating, because none of us are ready to go, but that’s the way it is.”

Josh Beckett echoed Francona’s sentiments: “I think yesterday was kind of tough.  When you acquire that much off-time, I think that a lot of guys say they didn’t really know what to do, because we’re so regimented and we have pretty much something to do every hour of every day throughout the season, starting in Spring Training.  Whenever it ends so abruptly, you don’t know what to do.”

Stay tuned at MyRedSoxToday as we’ll have all the latest off-season news – signings, trades and releases to get you through the long, cold winter…

I’m still finding it hard to believe that the Red Sox are out of the playoffs.  The way it ended on Sunday afternoon was just shocking.  The Angels rallied for 5 runs in the final innings, including 3 runs off of closer Jonathan Papelbon in the 9th to pull off the improbably 7-6 win at Fenway Park.  The Angels swept the Red Sox out of the playoffs in the ALDS after beating the Red Sox only once in the 10 previous post-season meetings since 2004. What the hell happened?

After jumping out to early 3-0 and 5-1 leads, Clay Buchholz did a solid job of keeping the Red Sox in the lead.  Making his 1st ever career post-season appearance, Buchholz pitched into the 6th inning, giving up just 2 ER on 6 hits and 1 walk.  Daniel Bard relieved Buchholz with the bases loaded and nobody out in the top of the 6th inning, and managed to get the Red Sox out of the game with just 1 more run scoring on a Juan Rivera double play ball.  Bard ended up pitching 2 scoreless innings withoout giving up a hit or a walk in his 1st ever career post-season appearance.  At least the future still looks bright for these Red Sox.

The veteran relievers struggled however.  Billy Wagner only recorded 2 outs in the 8th inning, giving up 2 ER on 1 hit and 1 walk.  Manager Terry Francona called on Jonathan Papelbon to get the Red Sox out of a 2nd and 3rd 2 out jam, but he promptly served up a single to Juan Rivera that cut the Red Sox lead to 5-4.  And despite adding an insurance run in the bottom of the 8th inning to increase the lead back to 2 runs, Papelbon couldn’t finish off the Angels after getting the 1st 2 outs of the 9th inning.  Papelbon gave up a single and a walk and then Bobby Abreu’s double scored Erick Aybar to cut the lead to 6-5.  Papelbon had Vladmir Guerrero down to his final strike, but Guerrero came through a clutch single that scored both Chone Figgins and Abreu to give the Red Sox the 7-6 lead.

The Red Sox went quietly against Brian Fuentes in the 9th inning, and just like that the season was over.  I’m sure I’ll have more to say about the team and the players over the next few weeks once it all sinks in, but I am still pretty shocked by what happened at Fenway on Sunday.  Going into the game, Papelbon had never given up a single run in the post-season – a streak spanning 27 innings over 17 appearances.  He went from being “perfect” to being downright awful – accounting for all 5 Angels runs at the end of the game even though only 3 runs were charged to him.  He’s gotta be feeling awful right now, but this could be a blessing in disguise, making the Red Sox want it even more in 2010.

At least the offense showed up in Game 3.  After being held to just 7 total hits and 1 run in the 1st 2 games, the Red Sox got a 2-run double from Dustin Pedroia and an RBI single from Victor Martinez in the 3rd inning.  After the Angels cut the lead to 3-1 in the top of the 4th inning on a Kendry Morales HR, J.D. Drew increased the Red Sox lead to 5-1 with his 2-run shot to deep center field in the bottom of the inning.  And even though the Red Sox only had 7 total hits, they worked out 4 walks and came through with the clutch hits when they needed it.

It’s a sad day for Red Sox nation – I was so looking forward to seeing Jon Lester force a Game 5 with a dominating performance at Fenway tonight, but I guess it just wasn’t meant to be…

Wow – this really isn’t the way the Red Sox drew it up.  The Red Sox bats have disappeared and 1 inning has done in each of Jon Lester and Josh Beckett in the 1st 2 games of the ALDS against the Angels in Anaheim.  Not good.

First the bats – the Red Sox managed just 4 hits off of Jered Weaver and 3 Angels’ relievers in Friday night’s 4-1 loss.  That makes 7 total hits for the series and just 1 run.  Jacoby Ellsbury had 2 of the Red Sox hits last night and scored the lone run on Victor Martinez’s RBI single in the 4th inning.  He is the only Red Sox regular hitting above .250 in the series – at .286.  Bad, bad, bad…

Josh Beckett was cruising along until the 7th inning.  Lead off walks always seem to come back and haunt you.  Beckett walked Vladmir Guerrero to start the inning and Howie Kendrick pinch-ran for Guerrero.  That seemed to distract Beckett for the rest of the inning.  Although Beckett did get 2 outs with Kendrick at 2nd base after his steal, Beckett could not close out the inning.  He gave up a Macier Izturis single to center field that drove in Kendrick with the go-ahead run.  And then after he hit Mike Napoli with a pitch, he served up the game-breaking 2-run triple Erick Aybar that gave the Angels a 4-1 lead.

The Red Sox now have their backs up against a wall.  The Red Sox trail the series 2-0 heading back for Game 3 on Sunday at Fenway Park.  Manager Terry Francona has decided to go with Clay Buchholz to get the must-win game.  Buchholz has pitched well at the end of the season, although his final regular season tune-up was not great.  Buchholz did not face the Angels this season and he has a career 6.35 ERA against the Angels in 3 starts.  The Angels will counter with Scott Kazmir.  The Red Sox have seen Kazmir a lot since he played with the Tampa Bay Rays for several seasons, so let’s hope the Red Sox can get on the board early as their bats come alive at Fenway…

Don’t lose faith Sox fans – we’ve been here before and overcome worse conditions!

It was not how the Red Sox envisioned Game 1 going – John Lackey outdueling Jon Lester in a 5-0 shutout.  The Red Sox had almost as many errors (3) as hits (4) and Lester was not his usual composed self.  The Angels Bobby Abreu should have been handed the game ball even though he didn’t get a hit.  Lester walked Abreu 4 times and it was after the 3rd time that he walked Abreu that Lester served up Torii Hunter’s game-winning 3-run HR in the 5th inning.  The Angels went on to score twice in the 7th inning – on Kendry Morales’ RBI single – but the game was all but over after Hunter’s home run.

Lester never looked settled on the mound as he seemed to get flustered with bad calls by the home plate umpire.  Lester pitched 6 innings, but gave up the 4 hits and 4 walks while striking out 5.  It was not his best outing.  Meanwhile, Lackey seemed to have the Red Sox hitters confused all night long.  Lackey gave up just 4 hits and 1 walk in 7 1/3 scoreless innings.  He struck out 4 and reliever Darren Oliver recorded the final 5 outs to preserve the Angels win.

No pressure on Josh Beckett tonight – hah!  Beckett needs to show up big tonight.  I don’t like having to rely on Clay Buchholz and Daisuke Matsuzaka in 2 must-win games back in Boston in Games 3 and 4.  I know the Red Sox have been phenomenal at Fenway Park, but going down 2-0 is not where I want my team sitting…

Manager Terry Francona has decided to go with Jon Lester against the Angels in Game 1 of the ALDS.  How can you fault him?  Lester has made 32 starts in 2009, going 15-8 with a 3.41 ERA and 1.23 WHIP.  His 225 K’s are the most by any left-handed pitcher in all of baseball.  It is the 2nd straight year that Lester has won at least 15 games, and although Lester did not face the Angels in 2009, he shut them down in the 2008 ALDS with no earned runs over 14 innings in 2 big wins that propeled the Red Sox to the ALCS against the Tampa Bay Rays.

Josh Beckett has had an up and down.  After starting the season so well, he has struggled of late.  Beckett also made 32 starts and finished the season with a 17-6 record.  He had a3.86 ERA and a 1.19 WHIP – striking out 199 in 212 1/3 innings.  In his last 14 starts since August 12th, Beckett is 4-2, but he has given up at least 3 ER in 7 of those starts.

After Lester and Beckett, Francona will have a decision to make.  He could go with the youngster Clay Buchholz (7-4, 4.21 ERA and 1.38 WHIP) who has pitched fairly consistently in 2009.  Or he could go with Daisuke Matsuzaka (4-6 record, 5.76 ERA and 1.87 WHIP) who struggled mightily at the beginning of the season and spent the rest of the season on the DL through August.  In 4 starts since coming off the DL, Daisuke is 3-1 and he has pitched at least 5 1/3 innings in each start without allowing more than 3 ER in any start.  Matsuzaka also has 2007 and 2008 playoff experience, so that could mean a lot come the weekend.

We’ll keep you posted as soon as Francona announces his decision on his Game 3 and Game 4 starters.

Things looked to be going so well for the Red Sox, and then another awful trip to the Bronx turned things south.  The Red Sox dropped a tough one to the Blue Jays 8-7 and have now lost 5 games in a row.  Not the way you want to be playing as you approach October post-season baseball.

Clay Buchholz had been the epitome of consistency – giving up just a total of 6 ER in his last 6 starts spanning 41 innings.  In the start just before that string, Buchholz did not bring his “A” game against the White Sox and they lit him up for 7 ER on 6 hits.  And that’s just what happened last night.  Buchholz gave up 5 home runs to the Blue Jays, lasting just 5 innings after giving up 7 ER.  Not good.

And although the Red Sox bats were hot – 14 hits, the team failed to come through with clutch hits early in the game.  Dustin Pedroia and J.D. Drew each had 3 hits in the loss.  Drew hit his 22nd home run of the 2009 MLB schedule, a 3-run shot in the 8th inning.  Drew now has 66 RBI’s.

Let’s hope Tim Wakefield and his teammates can get back  on track in the series finale against the Blue Jays at Fenway Park tonight.  It’s not looking so hot right now – Wakefield is done after 3 innings giving up 5 ER on 7 hits (2 home runs) and 2 walks.  Meanwhile, Roy Halladay has a no-no working and has retired 9 of the 1st 10 batters he has faced…

While it has been a frustrating 2009 MLB schedule for the Red Sox, they will have a shot to prove themselves in October as the AL Wild Card representative against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.  The Red Sox will look to make a memorable impression for their fans during the final regular season homestand at Fenway Park this week.

The Red Sox will play 3 games against the Toronto Blue Jays from Monday through Wednesday at Fenway Park.

The Red Sox will close out the season with a 4-game weekend series against the Cleveland Indians from Thursday October 1st through Sunday October 4th.

Both the Pirates and Diamondbacks have losing records, so the Red Sox should be able to end the season on a positive note and improve their already solid 52-22 home record at Fenway Park.  Red Sox Nation will get a chance to see starting pitchers Josh Beckett, Jon Lester, Daisuke Matsuzaka, Clay Buchholz, Tim Wakefield and Paul Byrd during the 2009 MLB regular season one last time as they gear up for the post-season.

Stay strong Red Sox Nation – theRed Sox are going to need your “A-Game” to advance to an epic battle against the Hated New York Yankees in the 2009 ALCS.  And to quote Kirsten Dunst – - “Bring it on!”