Buchholz angling for return

He's working to be more consistent

Clay Buchholz, now pitching in Pawtucket, is making adjustments to his delivery before he returns to the Red Sox. (Eric miller/Reuters)

PAWTUCKET, R.I. - Although the Red Sox hope that by the time Clay Buchholz reemerges in Boston, he will throw his fastball for strikes more consistently, that doesn't mean he'll be throwing them from a consistent angle.

Buchholz, whose arm angle veered more toward three-quarters than over the top in college, has dropped down a bit to reestablish his fastball command, which seemed to desert him at times in the majors.

Initially sent down to rehab a broken nail on his right middle finger, Buchholz was optioned to Triple A Pawtucket to work on his delivery.

"I was up there and we were looking at videos, couldn't really figure out why I was sort of inconsistent, I guess," he said yesterday. "My arm was too high. It was making my body fall off to the first base side of the mound. I think it's a little bit easier even just with the strain on the shoulder or elbow or whatever. I feel better the days after I pitch."

Describing the new action as "not quite three-quarters," Buchholz added he won't completely convert. He'll still throw from a more over-the-top angle to give hitters different looks. But it could be a significant change, even if it's "probably a matter of 3 or 4 inches," he said.

"You can't sit on one pitch from one arm slot," he said. "If I throw a fastball down here [at a lower arm angle], it's going to move more like a sinking fastball than if I throw it from up here [over the top]. It gives you more things that you can [use against hitters] because they don't know what's coming, they don't know where it's coming from."

Buchholz, who said he felt more comfortable and better physically in his last start, Monday, than he had in two or three years, did struggle in that start. In three innings, he allowed six hits and two runs, walking two and striking out three. He took significant time between pitches, something he attributed to fighting to get the correct pitch call from catcher Dusty Brown. He said he was looking to throw mostly fastballs - after all, that's what he is in Triple A to work on - against a fastball-hitting team.

Manager Ron Johnson, while acknowledging it wasn't the kind of start Buchholz was looking for, praised the downhill angle of the fastball and the action on his two-seamer down in the zone.

As for his return to the majors, Buchholz said, "Whenever I'm comfortable executing and everything and they see that I'm comfortable doing it, that's whenever I'll go back up. I don't expect it to be that long, but then again, you never know. I mean, we've got six guys up there throwing really well. It's just I've got to sort of bide time now. I got a shot early and sort of messed it up a little bit."

Bowden on target
With close friend Justin Masterson pitching well for Boston, Michael Bowden has been following suit with Double A Portland. Over his last nine starts, Bowden has given up just nine earned runs, a 1.45 ERA, while striking out 54. For the season (13 starts), Bowden - who starts tonight for the SeaDogs - has a 2.30 ERA and opponents are hitting a mere .179. Just 21, Bowden could be in high demand at the trading deadline.

"He truly had to have an extreme growth rate with the understanding of how to use secondary pitches, and I think that's what he's done so much better this year is just truly throw his secondary pitches," Portland pitching coach Mike Cather said.

Snyder rushed things
Kyle Snyder, rehabbing from a recurring right groin strain, said he was "too prideful" in trying to come back too early. He remains on the Pawtucket disabled list, though he's eager to resume throwing. Snyder was on the DL from May 16-27, then reinjured the groin June 2, failing to make it out of the first inning in a loss to the Durham Bulls . . . Right fielder Daniel Nava, 25, went 4 for 4 with two doubles and two RBIs Wednesday for the Lancaster JetHawks, raising his average to .396 (36 for 91) since May 1. He pinch hit yesterday and walked with the bases loaded . . . Lars Anderson, Lancaster's first baseman, got a hit yesterday against San Jose, extending his hitting streak to 15 games. During the streak, he has had 11 multihit games. He's 31 for 64 (.484) during that span . . . Greenville shortstop Yamaico Navarro, who has drawn raves within the organization, was batting .395 (15 for 38) in his last nine games with six multihit games before last night. Overall, the 20-year-old was hitting .291 with 6 home runs, 4 triples, 12 doubles, and 40 RBIs.

Amalie Benjamin can be reached at abenjamin@globe.com.