Boston Red Sox

Red Sox tap Clay Buchholz to start Game 3 of ALDS

The resurgent Buchholz gets the call to start the first game at Fenway Park.

Clay Buchholz turned in his most polarizing season to date in 2016. David Butler II / USA TODAY Sports

On May 26, Clay Buchholz surrendered three home runs in just five innings pitched as the Red Sox lost to the Rockies, 8-2. This Sunday, October 9 at 4:08 p.m., he will take the mound in opposition of Josh Tomlin as his team’s No. 3 starter in the American League Divisional Series against Cleveland.

To say 2016 has been a roller-coaster of highs and lows for Buchholz wouldn’t even do justice to his year.

After that May 26 game, Buchholz was demoted to the bullpen – a role that allowed him to regain his confidence after an adjustment period. This is especially notable given the second half of the above tweet; that if needed, Buchholz – who mustered a 1.07 ERA in his last six bullpen appearances in the middle of the summer – would be able to pitch in relief in a winner-take-all Game 5.

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For all that went wrong in the first half of this season, everything has come up Buchholz in the second half.

 

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