Buchholz Outpitched By Verlander...Detroit 2 Boston 0

Clay Buchholz pitched well enough to win Thursday evening at Fenway Park once again and he cemented his spot in Boston's starting rotation. He was outpitched by the Tiger ace Justin Verlander, who was able to go 8 full, giving up zero runs and only 4 hits, walking noboody and whiffing 8. To say he was dominating would be an understatement. Jason Bay had these simple but accurate words of praise for the ace of the Detroit rotation...

“I challenge anybody to find somebody with better stuff than him,’’ Bay said. “We face Texas now, and it’s going to be another good battle. Coming home and winning 3-of-4 is something we felt like we should do because we play well here, but given the way things had gone, you never know.”

I'd have to agree with our leftfielder. Verlander knows how to pitch and can keep his velocity up throughout his outings. Indeed, the last two pitches he threw were 96 plus MPH. He was virtually unhittable. And that's unfortunate for Buchholz, who went 7 frames and gave up one earned run while surrendering 5 hits and 3 free passes.The Red Sox have not scored a single run in his last two mound appearances. Buchholz hit the nail squarely on the head when he said this...

“I’m picking the wrong pitchers to throw against,’’ Buchholz said.

It's not like he's picking them, it's just the way the rotations match up. But the club has a much better chance of winning one of his starts than if John Smoltz was toeing the rubber. There's absolutely no comparison. Clay will be in the rotation for the long haul and continue to improve as his fear of pounding the strike zone continues to melt.

Next up on the menu for Boston is a trip to Arlington, Texas, to play the Texas Rangers, who are only a half game behind the Sox in the tight AL Wild Card race. Here are the all-important pitching matchups for the three game set...

Lester (9-7) vs. Millwood (9-7) Friday...8:05pm EDT
Penny (7-6) vs. Holland (5-7) Saturday...8:05pm ED
Tazawa (1-1) vs. Nippert (3-1) Sunday...2:05pm EDT

All three games will be televised by NESN, NESN HD and the usual radio outlets. The Sunday game will also be on TBS and TBS HD. Boston must win at least two of three to continue to lead in the Wild Card race, so it's an important series.

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