Confident Buchholz Ready To Face Orioles
BOSTON (CBS) – While the Red Sox are sputtering, Clay Buchholz is among the few players feeling some confidence these days.
"Confidence has been rolling," the 10-3 Buchholz told WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Jonny Miller. "I felt like for the most part of the season, after the first five or six starts, I've feel like I can do what I wanted to with the ball – even if the results haven't been what I wanted them to be."
Over the two and a half months, the results have been there for Buchholz. Since the start of June, he's 6-1 and has watched his ERA drop from 6.58 to 4.24.
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While he is only 2-0 over his last five starts (the Sox are 4-1), Buchholz has gone at least seven innings in each outing allowing just five earned runs over 39 innings pitched.
"It's been trying to keep the ball down in the zone and missing the fat part of the bat. For the most part it's been working," said Buchholz. "The changeup has come back gradually; two-seamer both sides of the plate and cutter both sides of the plate is what I've really gone to and tried to expose a couple hitters with. Even behind in the count I've been able to throw those two pitches for strikes."
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And while it seems like the baseball world is crumbling around the team that now sits four games under .500, Buchholz maintains it's not all that bad.
"It's not a nightmare," he said. "I think some things get blown out of proportion every now and then. Everybody is here for the same reason; we're here to win."
"Nobody likes losing," he continued. "There is always going to be a bit of a sour taste in your mouth after you lose some games. But this team has jelled very well even through the stuff we've gone through – all the controversy. Everybody is happy, everybody comes to the field ready to play and throws it all out there."
"We're still in the midst of this division," he said, although he likely meant the Wild Card with Boston 13.5 back of the Yankees in the AL East. "Hopefully the last two weeks we can get on a run and put something together."
The competition gets tougher for Buchholz Thursday night, facing the Wild Card-leading Baltimore Orioles for the first time this season.
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"They've been a tough team to pitch to for the last two or three years," Buccholz said of the team he no-hit in just his second career start in 2007. "They found their stride, they're comfortable and you can tell that. Their pitching staff has stepped up too, so it's not an easy task coming here and playing these guys in a three or four games series. Having to win right now doesn't make it easier for us."
