Clay Buchholz

After splitting a four-game series with the Mariners, the Red Sox will round out their West Coast road trip with a three-game set against the struggling Angels. A day after pulling off a major trade, Los Angeles will try to climb back up the AL West and wild card standings. On Monday night, Clay Buchholz makes his second start since returning from the disabled list new Angels righty Dan Haren.

Before being put on the shelf for nearly a month with a hamstring injury, Buchholz (10-5, 2.81 ERA) had one of the best first halves of any starting pitcher in the AL. At one point, he won nine of 11 decisions, including a streak of five straight victories. On July 21, Buchholz returned to make a start against the Athletics in Oakland, tossing four mediocre innings and allowing five runs. The rust was evident and he’ll hope to get back into a rhythm against a team that has hit him hard in the past.

Over his career, Buchholz is 2-2 against the Angels with a 6.35 ERA and a .326 batting average against. In his outing this season vs. Los Angeles in Boston, he had one of his worst performances of the year, allowing four runs over 5 2/3 innings. Buchholz and the Red Sox still earned the win, but he wasn’t particularly sharp, giving up eight hits and walking three batters. Hideki Matsui has the most experience against the Boston starter, mostly from his time with the Yankees, hitting .400 in 11 plate appearances.

The decision by the Angels to throw Haren against the Sox on Monday means the bumping of the night’s original starter in Joel Pineiro (10-7, 4.18 ERA). Haren was 7-8 with a 4.60 ERA for the Diamondbacks this season and struck out 141 hitters in 141 innings. The Angels gave up a package of Joe Saunders and three minor leaguers to land Haren and likely did so with the hopes that the ERA would revert back to the 3.07 mark he posted when he was last in the AL West. The centerpiece in the Mark Mulder deal in 2004, Haren spent three seasons in Oakland before being traded to the Diamondbacks in the offseason following the 2007 season.

In his career vs. Boston, Haren is 4-2 with a 3.30 ERA in seven regular season starts. He’s struck out 35 and walked 12 in 43 innings against the Sox. As a member of the Cardinals, Haren threw 4 2/3 scoreless innings combined in Games 1 and 4 of the 2004 World Series. 

After the Angels, the Red Sox have a day off on Thursday before returning home to Fenway Park to open up a three-game series against Detroit on Friday.

Red Sox vs. Haren

Adrian Beltre (47 career plate appearance against Haren): .415 average/.489 OBP/.707 slugging, 6 doubles, 2 home runs, 7 RBI, 6 walks, 8 strikeouts

David Ortiz (17): .400/.471/.933, 1 triple, 2 homers, 5 RBI, 2 walks

Kevin Youkilis (13): .077/.077/.077, 1 RBI, 3 strikeouts

Jeremy Hermida (10): .000/.000/.000, 5 strikeouts

J.D. Drew (9): .111/.111/.111, 3 strikeouts

Mike Cameron (7): .000/.143/.000, 1 walk, 4 strikeouts

Bill Hall (6): .167/.167/.167, 2 strikeouts

Marco Scutaro (4): .333/.250/.667, 1 double, 2 RBI, 1 strikeout

Darnell McDonald (3): .000/.500/.000

Eric Patterson (3): .000/.333/.000, 1 walk

The Los Angeles starter never has faced Dusty Brown, Jed Lowrie, or Kevin Cash.

Angels vs. Buchholz

Hideki Matsui (11 career plate appearances against Buchholz): .400 average/.455 OBP/.500 slugging, 1 double, 1 walk, 1 strikeout

Alberto Callaspo (9): .222/.222/.222, 1 RBI

Torii Hunter (9): .167/.444/.167, 3 walks

Maicer Izturis (9): .429/.556/.714, 2 doubles, 4 RBI, 2 walks, 1 strikeout

Bobby Abreu (8): .125/.125/.500, 1 home run, 2 RBI

Howie Kendrick (8): .143/.125/.143, 2 RBI, 1 strikeout

Jeff Mathis (8): .200/.375/.200, 1 RBI, 2 walks, 1 strikeout

Juan Rivera (8): .143/.250/.143, 1 walk, 2 strikeouts

Erick Aybar (6): .000/.000/.000

Mike Napoli (3): .333/.333/.333, 1 strikeout

Reggie Willits is hitless in three at-bats against Buchholz with two strikeouts. The Boston starter has never faced Cory Aldridge, Kevin Frandsen, Paul McAnulty, Bobby Wilson or Brandon Wood.