Clay is filthy right now. And not just in the usual way of looking gross. (Photo by Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images)
Okay. I’m finally covering a win, so I’m going to try to put on my rose-colored glasses and try to see what Righty’s been seeing. The Sox are now 7-4 in their last 11 games, and I suppose that’s something I can get behind. I’m just gonna run through some stuff here. And I’m gonna break a promise by getting a little stat geeky.
I think Clay Buchholz is having the best year (to this point) of his career. He’s totally stepped up to the plate (baseball joke!) in the absence of the “ace” that fans want, and delivered. He currently has the best FIP (fielding independent pitching) of his career. FIP is a stat that measures a pitcher’s propensity for home runs, walks, hit batsmen, and strikeouts. In the only other (half) season that even touches this year’s performance, 2013, Buchholz only gave up 4 home runs in 108 innings among good strikeout and walk numbers. But this year, he’s put together his lowest walk rate ever by a wide margin (2.2 per 9 innings) with a strikeout rate of 8.8 per 9 innings, also the best of his career. His strikeout/walk rate is 22nd in MLB. Simply put, he’s been dominant…when the ball isn’t in play.
Unfortunately, due either to luck (which is almost certainly what the statheads would say) or some inexplicably hittable pitching, Clay’s BABIP (batting average on balls in play) is .332, nearly the highest of his career. Since he’s also giving up the least amount of hard-hit balls in his career (23.9%), I’m gonna say it’s luck. Or, you know, I’ve heard some rumblings that the defense has had some issues…
Alejandro De Aza got caught stretching for a double with 2 outs in the top of the 6th. This man is addicted to touching more than one bag on a hit. He’s slugging .829 with 8 extra base hits since June 16. With two outs in the 9th inning, facing the prospect of exiting the game with a measly 2 singles, he drove a triple to the left field wall to make up for his earlier baserunning mistake. Unfortunately, De Aza hits in front of the typically helpless Sandy León, who I doubt will make an appearance above the Mendoza line in 2015. He struck out swinging.
Mookie Betts also hit a triple to left, putting it in the gap, but had better results. Betts’ three-bagger led off the 5th, and Brock Holt immediately blooped him home, tacking on an insurance run to put the Sox up 3-0.
Boston’s first two runs came after setting the table for Xander Bogaerts when the knuckleballer Dickey started the 4th inning wild, walking Jackie Bradley, Jr., giving up a single to Betts, and walking Holt to load the bases. Bogaerts drove a fly ball to right, and it flew over Lefty and Righty Twitter follower Joey Bats’ head, scoring two runs. Dickey then, of course, forced three consecutive pop outs from Ortiz, Sandoval, and Napoli, but it was a good early effort overall.
Buchholz was the recipient of a bit of luck in the 2nd inning. After Clay hit Russell Martin on the hand, center fielder Kevin Pillar hit a double over Pablo Sandoval’s head, but a good relay from De Aza and Bogaerts, some poor baserunning by Martin, and an incredible-to-behold hustle play by Panda ended the inning.
Buchholz and León also put together a strke ’em out, throw ’em out double play in the 3rd.
Clay’s only ACTUAL trouble spot came in the 6th. Travis reached on an infield single to lead off, and moved to second on a ground ball back to Buchholz. After a fly out, Josh Donaldson tucked a double down the left field line, just past Sandoval’s glove, scoring Travis, but that would be it for the Jays on the night.
Notes:
- Uehara came in for a clean save. ERA is down to 3.00 even.
- This happened:
