Clay Buchholz Showing Glimpses Of 2013 Self Amid Solid Run For Red Sox

BOSTON — This season looks nothing like 2013 for the Red Sox. Unless your name is Clay Buchholz.

Buchholz might not be quite as dominant this season as he was for two-plus months of the Red Sox’s 2013 World Series campaign, but the right-hander is in the midst of a rather impressive stretch. He earned his fifth win of the season Wednesday with a seven-inning, one-run performance in Boston’s 5-1 victory over the Baltimore Orioles at Fenway Park.

“A lot of strikes and a constant mix of all his pitches. There wasn’t any one sequence that he would repeat,” Red Sox manager John Farrell said after Wednesday’s game. “He started a number of guys off with a number of different pitches. It was just a constant change of speeds for him (Wednesday).

“He’s been very dependable for us. Seven strong innings (Wednesday). Good to see him go out and put up a zero after we score the five (runs in the sixth inning). But he led the way for us (Wednesday).”

Buchholz is unbeaten in his last five starts (3-0), with the Red Sox winning four of those contests. He owns a 2.28 ERA over his last eight starts, lowering his season ERA to 3.68. If you eliminate his nine-run implosion April 12 against the New York Yankees, he boasts a 2.91 ERA.

That is, dare I say, ace-esque, though let’s not slap any labels on the hurler. He’s had some occasional bumps, including the debacle in the Bronx in his second start of 2015, and there perhaps always will be questions about Buchholz’s ability to be a true No. 1 starter. But he’s been extremely reliable for most of this season, which is more than can be said for any other pitcher in the rotation outside of Eduardo Rodriguez, who has just five major league starts under his belt but already looks like a stud.

“I think he’s been as strong start to start in terms of arm strength and overall stuff this year equal to ‘13 prior to the shoulder ailment that he went through (that season),” Farrell said. “But the percentage of strikes is extremely high every night he walks to the mound.

“He has such an uncanny ability to manipulate the baseball and change speeds as he did (Wednesday). But he’s in a pretty solid run for us here over a high number of starts.”

Buchholz threw 71 of his 100 pitches Wednesday for strikes, suggesting a willingness to pitch in and around the zone with confidence. It’s been a successful formula to this point for Buchholz, who hasn’t surrendered a home run in six starts dating back to May 21, in large because he’s keeping hitters off-balance by virtue of changing speeds and mixing pitches with great effectiveness, a la 2013.

“It’s not like I’m throwing 75 pitches for strikes that are on the plate,” Buchholz said. “I’m getting some swing and misses on some changeups down, some curveballs down. Whenever I get ahead in the count, I’ve got a couple of pitches I can work with, and we’ve done a pretty good job doing that.”

Buchholz’s win-loss record (5-6) isn’t as sparkling as the 9-0 mark he posted to open 2013. And his ERA this season sits roughly two runs higher. But other barometers — like FIP (Fielder Independent Pitching) and strikeout-to-walk ratio — suggest Buchholz isn’t too far removed from his 2013 self.

In the simplest terms, he’s been very good of late. And Wednesday was no exception.

Thumbnail photo via Bob DeChiara/USA TODAY Sports Images