Rainout pushes Buchholz back

Last night's rainout allowed the Red Sox to shuffle their rotation slightly. Paul Byrd, who was supposed to make his Sox debut last night, will face Toronto ace Roy Halladay today. Josh Beckett will be pushed back to tomorrow, when he'll face Shaun Marcum. And Clay Buchholz will not pitch until Wednesday in Baltimore.

Buchholz, who was supposed to pitch tomorrow, already had been pushed back to accommodate the acquisition of Byrd. Buchholz will now get three extra days of rest, and Jon Lester and Daisuke Matsuzaka will remain on normal rest.

"We'll continue to work even as we have with him being pushed back originally," pitching coach John Farrell said of Buchholz.

"It does provide additional opportunity to continue to work in the bullpen."

The plan is for Buchholz - 0-6 with an 8.19 ERA over his last eight starts - to throw an extra side session.

But Farrell said the extra days off shouldn't affect Buchholz's mental state, even as it gives him more time to think about his next start.

"I think, if anything, the one turn missed because of the weather, the acquisition of Paul Byrd, gives him a chance to kind of relax a little bit, and continue to work toward the next outing on Wednesday," Farrell said.

As for last night's game, it will be made up as part of a day-night doubleheader Sept. 13.

Tickets for last night's game will be good for the first game that day, scheduled for 12:35 p.m.

The second game will go on as scheduled at 7:05.

Last night's postponement was the second of the season for the Sox. They were also rained out May 16 against Milwaukee at Fenway Park.

Amalie Benjamin