Clay Buchholz Tries to Bounce Back as Red Sox Go for Sweep of Mariners

The final West Coast game of the season arrives Wednesday when the Red Sox put the finishing touches on a series in Seattle, aiming for their first sweep since the end of July.

Boston broke out the bats in a 9-6 victory Tuesday night. Jed Lowrie went deep twice, and David Ortiz gave the club the lead for good with a three-run shot in the eighth, his 30th of the year.

Clay Buchholz will be looking to rebound from a dismal outing in Oakland to start the trip. He is opposed by one-time Red Sox righty David Pauley.

WHEN AND WHERE

Red Sox (81-64) at Mariners (55-90)
Wednesday, Sept. 15, 6:40 p.m. NESN
Safeco Field, Sseattle, Wash.

Live Blog

HEAD TO HEAD

The Red Sox are 12-17 in Seattle since 2005.

PITCHING MATCHUP

RHP Clay Buchholz (15-7, 2.53 ERA) vs. RHP David Pauley (2-7, 4.39 ERA)

Once a viable Cy Young Award candidate, Buchholz has hit a snag for the first time this season. He is winless in his last three starts and is coming off the worst outing of his young career.

In a somewhat shocking scene, Buchholz gave up five runs on five hits and four walks in just one inning of work five days ago in Oakland. The effort knocked him from the American League lead in ERA.

Buchholz has faced Seattle just once. He gave up three runs in 5 1/3 innings.

Pauley is one of several Mariners pitchers with better numbers at home, but he remains winless in six starts at Safeco (0-5). He has dropped his last three decisions, including a loss at Fenway Park on Aug. 25.

The former Red Sox pitcher is 2-10 in his major league career.

LINEUPS

Lineups will be posted approximately four hours before pitch.

STAT SHEET

Red Sox

• Ortiz is one of three Red Sox players (Ted Williams, Manny Ramirez) with six seasons of 30 home runs or more.
• The Sox are 23-15 against the A.L. West this year.
• Outfielder Ryan Kalish has 13 RBIs in 11 games this month.

Mariners

• Second baseman Chone Figgins is 6-for-7 in the series.
• Right fielder Ichiro Suzuki scored four times Tuesday. He had four runs in his previous 17 games combined.
• Right-hander Brandon League has allowed eight runs in four innings over his last three relief appearances.

BLACK AND BLUE

Red Sox

• Right fielder J.D. Drew is day-to-day with a jammed right ankle.
• Second baseman Dustin Pedroia had season-ending surgery Sept. 3 on his broken left foot. He is expected to be fully healed for spring training.
• Outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury (ribs) will not resume any baseball-related activities until after the season ends.
• Center fielder Mike Cameron had season-ending surgery Friday to repair an abdominal tear.
• First baseman Kevin Youkilis had successful surgery to repair the torn right adductor muscle on his right hand. He will miss the remainder of the season.
• Left-hander Felix Doubront has pain behind his left clavicle. He has not pitched since Aug. 31 and will not join the team on the trip.
• Right-hander Junichi Tazawa underwent Tommy John surgery in March. He is out for the year.

Mariners

• Outfielder Milton Bradley is likely out for the year following surgery to relieve right knee tendinitis last month.
• Shortstop Jack Wilson is out for the year with a broken bone in his right hand.
• Left-hander Erik Bedard had season-ending shoulder surgery Aug. 6.

OUTLOOK

Buchholz looked nothing like himself in Oakland. Getting him back on track will send the Sox back to Boston for a very winnable homestand with plenty of momentum.