See ya, Clay
The Clay Buchholz Experience is over.
COMMENTARY
It’s finally over for Clay Buchholz.
Maybe.
In the wake of what should have been Buchholz’s final start in a Red Sox uniform Thursday night, the only remaining logic behind manager John Farrell deciding to send him to the mound Tuesday night against the Baltimore Orioles would stem from the conclusion that the pitcher has photos of somebody in the organization in a compromising position.
If the team’s fascination with the underachieving righty was difficult to comprehend at times over the years, it’s a situation that has now become impossible.
In what many deemed a make-or-break start, Buchholz was horrendous on Thursday at Fenway Park, surrendering three, long home runs to the Colorado Rockies, who plated six runs over his five innings of work. It was the sixth time in 10 starts this season that Buchholz has allowed at least five earned runs.
Sixth
He’s now 2-5 with a 6.35 ERA, making him far and away the worst-performing member of the Red Sox starting rotation. Since an encouraging start against the Chicago White Sox on May 4, when he allowed three hits over seven innings, Buchholz has given up 25 hits over 22 innings. He’s walked nine and struck out 12 over that frame of time, with a 7.36 ERA.
The Red Sox are 2-8 over Buchholz’s 10 starts this season. They are 27-10 whenever anyone else takes the mound.
“I’m basically the one that’s struggling — the only one that’s struggling,” Buchholz said. “I guess it’s better off that way than to have three out of five guys struggling.”
No. It’s better off with one of the five guys being jettisoned.
With Eduardo Rodriguez making another rehab start this weekend with Pawtucket, Buchholz’s latest gag should have been his last. The path here is clear; Buchholz is the guy to go when the lefty starter is ready to go.
“We know that Eddie is soon to, or ready, probably, to come back to us,” Farrell said. “There’s been no decision made as of right now.”
Yes there has been. Buchholz has made it an easy one for them since April.
“I feel like guys are doing a really good job of picking up the slack that I’m leaving behind,” Buchholz said. “You figure it has to change sooner or later. I’m feeling as good as I’ve felt in two and half, three years, so I’ve got to find a way to get through it.”
Maybe that’s a stint in the bullpen, which is a frightening proposition to put the unpredictable Buchholz in, particularly in late innings. Perhaps it’s a fairy tale trip to the disabled list, a place the fragile Buchholz is used to visiting over his 10-year career. There could even be the outlandish possibility that Dave Dombrowski finds some other sucker on the trade market to believe in his “stuff.”
Buchholz insists that he’s healthy, which could make for a fascinating turn of evens should the Red Sox deem a phantom injury to place him on the DL. But he’s also had plenty of opportunity to prove to the masses that he’s fit for his job. Yet one day after boasting that he was out to prove his critics wrong (“A lot of people wanted to run me out of this place a long time ago.”), he delivered his worst start of the season.
It wasn’t really a surprise.
Oh, sure, Buchholz was perfect through the first rotation of the Rockies lineup, a tantalizing signal that Thursday might have been one of those monthly outings where the pitcher makes you think he’s finally got his act together. That’s when the Colorado blasts spelled his doom for the night.
For the season.
For his Red Sox career.
Not that the rotation has been brilliant, but the other four members have seemingly cemented their spots in a way that Buchholz hasn’t been able to. David Price is 4-1 this month with a 4.96 ERA, but has been much better his last three starts after Dustin Pedroia’s cameo as pitching coach. Rick Porcello has slowed of late; he’s 2-2 with a 4.44 ERA in May, but he’s not going anywhere from the rotation. Knuckleballer Steven Wright has claimed a spot he’s only going to relinquish if the Red Sox are foolish enough to replace him, and Joe Kelly is coming off an outing in which he allowed one hit over 6 2/3 innings.
Each of them has a reason to stay once Rodriguez is ready to go.
Buchholz has none.
It’s over.
Except that every time Red Sox fans assume this is the last of Clay Buchholz, the Red Sox seemingly show him a little more faith.
Hopefully, that tank is empty. Finally. Mercifully.
“That’s out of my pay grade,” Buchholz said. “I can’t worry about that. I’m here to pitch. If I don’t have a spot, then that’s part of it.”
That definitely has to be part of it.
The Clay Buchholz Experience is over. Let somebody else figure out the untapped potential.
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