Rookie relieved at stint
Buchholz gets work before his next start
When pitching coach John Farrell told Clay Buchholz to grab his spikes yesterday, Buchholz thought he might be pinch running. He didn't think, at least not immediately, that he would be entering the game.
But after throwing on flat ground before the game with Farrell, Buchholz did his work in-between starts in yesterday's game, making the second relief appearance of his young career. He entered in the sixth inning, giving up one run on one hit and one walk. He also struck out one. His fastball was clocked as high as 96 miles per hour.
"It felt like I didn't have to go out there and try to set up any hitters," Buchholz said. "I went up there and threw a lot of fastballs, mixed in some offspeed stuff.
"I thought the double that got hit off of me [by John McDonald], it was a fastball riding up and in, and he kept his hands inside the ball, got it up in the air, and hit off the Wall. I was really in a more comfortable phase than I have been."
The outing will not affect Buchholz's start on Wednesday, when he'll face the Orioles. Having been skipped Friday in favor of Paul Byrd, then pushed back because of that night's rainout, his next start would have been on nine days' rest.
"We're hoping it will help," manager Terry Francona said. "He threw [on] flat ground today, so we weren't worried about overuse or a guy throwing a long side. We're hoping the inning will take a little bit of the edge off going into his start on Wednesday."
Buchholz called the inning a "confidence booster," something needed for a pitcher who is 0-6 with an 8.19 ERA over his last eight starts.
Catching up
With no knuckleballer on the current roster - Charlie Zink was shipped back to Pawtucket after his start Tuesday - Francona will revert to a more traditional catcher rotation. That usually involves a backup catching a day game after a night game, but Francona wanted Jason Varitek to handle Josh Beckett yesterday. Kevin Cash would have caught Buchholz had he kept his start yesterday, and Cash likely will catch the rookie Wednesday. When the deficit got bigger yesterday, and Beckett came out early, Cash relieved Varitek . . . Tim Wakefield played catch again yesterday, though the team has no specific plans for his return yet. "What we do want to do is if we put a guy on the DL is have him have a chance to come back and pitch with health," Francona said. "Not pitch once and go backwards. That's why we did this." The Sox have two days off on the three-city trip that starts today, allowing them to give additional rest to a starter if needed . . . J.D. Drew left after the third inning with tightness in his lower back. Drew was also caught off second base on a liner to center by Alex Cora in the second inning . . . The Sox have allowed 10 or more hits in four of their last five games . . . Jed Lowrie fell a home run short of the cycle, and reached four times . . . Both Kevin Youkilis and Dustin Pedroia (who turned 25 yesterday) homered, Pedroia connecting in back-to-back games.
Fear factor
Former manager Dick Williams threw out the ceremonial first pitch to current skipper Francona. Francona, who played for Williams with Montreal in 1981, his rookie season, said before the game that he understands "how the '67 season seemed to transform the fans," a knowledge he gained after joining the Sox. While Francona was scared of Williams in his rookie season, Francona tries for a different atmosphere with the Sox. But that hasn't always been possible. A few young players apparently have been a bit intimidated by him. "[Pawtucket manager Ron Johnson] gave me a couple instances," Francona said. "I said, 'What?' He goes, I think you've been doing this and you're forgetting where you are. I was shocked. I said, 'You've got to be kidding me.' Because we don't try to do that, we don't want to do that. We want our kids to come up and act right, but I don't want them to come through that door with fear. I don't think that helps." . . . Alex Rios had five hits (four doubles) yesterday, following up a game in which he stroked a triple and a home run. The four doubles tied a club record, done twice previously . . . Toronto set a team record with 10 doubles, and tied a club record with 12 extra-base hits. Their 22 hits were the most by an opposing team against the Sox this season. The Sox last gave up 22 hits June 11, 2006, vs. the Rangers at Fenway Park.
Amalie Benjamin can be reached at abenjamin@globe.com. 