Spring fling for Buchholz

FORT MYERS, Fla. -- As a closing act, this was better than the typical getaway game on the last day of spring training in Florida.

It certainly was worth Skip and Robin Buchholz taking the day off from work and flying in from Texas to see their son Clay, regarded as the best pitching prospect in the Red Sox system, pitch for the big leaguers for the first time.

If Mom and Dad had any concerns about their 22-year-old son getting enough rest before his big moment, they needn't have. "I went to bed at 7:30 and slept all the way through to 7:30," Buchholz said.

"Sitting around my house sucked a little energy out of me, I guess. I went upstairs to take a nap for an hour or two and it lasted all night."

Buchholz lasted long enough yesterday afternoon to make a fine first impression. He pitched to 21 batters and struck out three, allowing seven hits, including Carl Crawford's two-run triple, and three runs while flashing some of the stuff that made him the team's Minor League Pitcher of the Year last season.

"He's definitely got the best raw stuff in our system," general manager Theo Epstein said of the former third-round pick out of Angelina (Texas) Junior College, who passed up football scholarship offers from the likes of Purdue, Notre Dame, and Texas to sign with the Sox in 2005.

"He's fun to watch," Epstein said of the 22-year-old righthander, who last season went 11-4 with a 2.42 ERA and struck out 140 batters in 119 innings, the most K's by any Sox minor leaguer.

"This time of year he pitches in the low 90s," Epstein said. "Last year, toward the end of year, he was consistently 92-94 and touched 97. He has a good live fastball, and when he's on, the slider, curve, and change will be double-plusses. When he's got them all working at the same time, the game is pretty much over.

"He's a little raw. He's made only a handful of starts above low A ball. Fastball command is his biggest issue this year. He's an outstanding athlete with a lightning-quick arm and really advanced secondary stuff. He's an exciting package."

Mike Timlin threw a side session yesterday with no problems, and is on a schedule that will have him activated in time for the Sox' home opener April 10 against the Seattle Mariners.

"It felt good," Timlin said. "Free and easy. No pain."

Timlin is expected to pitch twice more here in minor league camp, tomorrow and Tuesday, and then is scheduled to throw Thursday and next Saturday for Triple A Pawtucket. Sox manager Terry Francona said there was some thought of having Timlin join the club in Texas, when he would have been eligible to come off the disabled list in time for next Sunday's game, but decided to wait until the club returns home.

Jonathan Papelbon gave the club a scare when he stepped awkwardly on the first base bag while taking a toss from Joe McEwing in the ninth inning. Papelbon took a couple of practice tosses after trainer Paul Lessard checked him out, stayed in the game, and struck out the last two batters he faced, Jonny Gomes and Josh Paul . . . Alex Ochoa hit his first home run of spring and 20-year-old Argenis Diaz, a Venezuelan shortstop who played in the Gulf Coast League last season, hit a game-tying home run in the bottom of the ninth . . . Epstein said there was a possibility of a roster tweak before Opening Day, like in a waiver move, but said it was unlikely. He ruled out any eve-of-the-season trade as well . . . Julian Tavarez pitches tonight and Daisuke Matsuzaka tomorrow in Philadelphia . . . The Sox set a City of Palms Park record with a total attendance of 131,586 this spring.