Red Sox manager Terry Francona said after Sunday’s game that Clay Buchholz will get the first Red Sox start following the All-Star break. Buchholz, who allowed five runs (four earned) on Sunday for Triple-A Pawtucket while taking the loss, is 7-2 with a 2.36 ERA in the minors this year. With two Sox starters (Tim Wakefield and Josh Beckett) in the All-Star Game, the Sox wanted to set up a rotation that would potentially provide all of the team’s starters extra rest entering the second half. The order following Buchholz to open the second half will be Brad Penny, Jon Lester, John Smoltz, Josh Beckett and Tim Wakefield.

Sox manager Terry Francona indicated that it will likely be a one-start promotion for Buchholz, and that the right-handed prospect will be sent back down to Pawtucket following Friday’s start against the Blue Jays. The spot start will give the other five members of Boston’s starting staff an extra built-in day of rest to start the traditional second half of the baseball, and will presumably give the Sox big league coaching staff an ability to gauge the hurler’s improvement from last season.

“It’s right on his day and it really, I think, sets up our rotation a little bit,’ said Francona. “We wanted to be consistent with our guys’ rest. There’s a day off a week in with, everybody will get one turn through. We wanted to see Buch pitch too. There are just a lot of reasons for it.

“Coming out of the break that is typically a tough game, especially when you have four days off. I think there is some validity to giving Buch the ball and let him go.” 

WEEI.com’s Alex Katz confirmed that two Blue Jays scouts were on hand to watch him pitch in Triple-A Pawtucket during Sunday’s outing.

More, including reaction from Buchholz in Pawtucket, is to come.

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