Let's Play Ball!

The Boston Red Sox open the second "half" of the 2009 baseball season tonight up in Canada. This time around we will not miss Roy "Doc" Halladay. Here are the all-important pitching matchups...

Clay Buchholz vs. Ricky Romero (7-3, 3.00 ERA) tonight
Brad Penny (6-3, 4.71) vs. Brian Tallet (5-6, 4.95) Saturday
Jon Lester (8-6, 3.87) vs. Roy Halladay (10-3, 2.85) Sunday

That's right, you read correctly...Clay Buchholz will make the start for the Sox. Why? Maybe Boston is shopping him in a package to obtain Doc. Totonto is said to be willing to listen to offers, high value ones at that. And Buchholz pitched very well during his stay over in Pawtucket. He was 7-2 with a sparking ERA of 2.36. Bring it on, Clay! Here he is...

“It’s an opportunity that I’ve been waiting for all year,” said Buchholz. “It’s definitely good to get back up here and pitch in a big league park. Pitching in Triple A was not where I wanted to be, but the things that have gone on in this organization, with the pitching staff being one of the best in the league, it’s hard to get a spot start in here. But I’m real excited that I get to come out here and pitch and I thank the Red Sox for giving me an opportunity. I’m ready to go. I’ve prepared for it for a good while now. Maybe the first couple of pitches I’ll be excited,” he said. “But after that, that’s how these guys stay in the game forever - because they control their emotions and everything else. I’m sure the adrenaline will be running, but you have to learn how to learn how to deal with that. I’ve been here before and I’m not going to be nearly as amped as I was a couple of years ago.”

His manager, Terry Francona, said this...

“I think the hope is he is amped up and goes out and pitches great,” Red Sox manager Terry Francona said. “I think he’ll be OK. It’s not like he had to go introduce himself. I think it’s a really good opportunity for him and the ballclub.”

I hope to see great things from Clay tonight at 7:07pm EDT. The Saturday and Sunday games will begin at 1:07pm EDT. I wish you all a great Friday and a wonderful weekend. Go Clay. GO SOX. And as always, BE WELL. Click on this post's title for more on the Sox. Your comments are always welcome and always answered. Thanks. See ya.