If there was any doubt as to who would start after Josh Beckett and Jon Lester in the postseason, Clay Buchholz has erased it.
The 25-year old righty has silenced his critics of late, recording wins in six of his last eight starts and remaining unbeaten since Aug. 13.
Buchholz posted his sixth quality start in a row on Thursday with 6 2/3 scoreless innings against the Royals for his seventh win of the season Kansas City. He allowed five hits in the outing, striking out eight and walking none. He needed 109 pitches to get 20 outs, but he has now allowed just two earned runs in his last 26 2/3 innings.
After getting off to just a 1-3 start with a 4.45 ERA in his first five starts of 2009, Buchholz has gone 6-0 with a 2.44 ERA over his last eight to solidify his role as the No. 3 starter in the rotation.
Buchholz was a highly-coveted arm at the trade deadline and one the Red Sox were skeptical of throwing into a deal. But now with a 7-3 record and 3.21 ERA, he is proving that he was worth the attention and the wait.