Will Middlebrooks hit his first big league homer on Sunday. (AP)

As he demolished Triple-A pitching this season, the excitement about Will Middlebrooks built steadily. In the matter of a single homestand, that promise and potential that has been so commonly associated with the 23-year-old was on full display. On Sunday, it was encapsulated most dramatically by a single swing of the bat.

With the Red Sox trailing 5-1 and the bases loaded, Middlebrooks stepped up to the plate and delivered in a big way, sending a Tommy Hunter pitch over the Green Monster and onto a parking garage on Lansdowne Street, transforming what had been a rout into a tie ballgame.

“It was probably the biggest rush of my life, to be honest,” Middlebrooks said after the game.

Though the Red Sox ultimately lost 9-6 in what turned out to be a 17-inning, six-hour affair, the emergence of Middlebrooks — who was rated as the organization’s top prospect by Baseball America heading into the 2012 season — was undoubtedly the biggest positive for the Sox in a 1-5 homestand in which silver linings were few and far between.

With Kevin Youkilis on the 15-day disabled list with a lower back strain, this recent homestand has provided Middlebrooks with his chance to prove his value at the major league level after posting impressive numbers this season in Pawtucket. In 24 games with the PawSox, the 23-year-old third baseman slugged nine home runs, which placed him second among International League batters, to go along with a .333 batting average, .380 OBP, .677 slugging mark, 1.057 OPS and 27 RBIs.

After being called up, Middlebrooks wasted no time in his debut, going 2-for-3 with a walk and a stolen base on May 2 against Oakland and adding a double in six plate appearances on Friday. Tightness in his left hamstring forced Middlebrooks out of Saturday’s 8-2 loss to the Orioles. Read the rest of this entry »

It was one of their most spirited efforts of the year, and yet it ended with the familiar whiff of defeat. The Red Sox suffered a 9-6 loss in 17 innings Sunday when Adam Jones smashed a three-run homer into the Monster seats against Red Sox outfielder-turned-pinch runner-turned reliever Darnell McDonald, who was in the game because his team had exhausted its bullpen.

The loss was the fifth straight for the Sox, who have now lost 10 of their last 11 home games. In losing all three contests to the Orioles, the Sox got swept at home by the O’s for the first time since 1994. Yet McDonald’s role in the loss was secondary.

Taking to the mound against an Orioles team that has been one of the early surprises of the season, Clay Buchholz had an opportunity to turn around what had so far been a disastrous season. Unfortunately for Buchholz and the Red Sox, it was more of the same, and worse from the get-go. The tone was set on just the fifth pitch of the game, when Buchholz gave up a solo homer to left off J.J. Hardy. His day went even further downhill from there as he gave up five earned runs and three homers in just 3 2/3 innings and 81 pitches.

While the Red Sox rallied twice to tie the game at five and then six (thanks in large part to a grand slam from Will Middlebrooks), ultimately, the burden placed on the team’s bullpen during the series (7 innings in Friday’s 13-inning loss, 6 1/3 in Saturday’s 8-2 loss and another 13 1/3 on Sunday) proved too much.

Here is what went wrong and right for the Red Sox.

WHAT WENT WRONG FOR THE RED SOX

• Buchholz entered the game Sunday with the worst ERA (8.69) and WHIP (1.90) among all qualifying major league starting pitchers, and both numbers got worse after another horrendous start. Buchholz gave up three home runs, and even beyond his stat line, his velocity on his fastball was consistently down near the 91-92 mph range. The performance also gave Buchholz the dubious distinction of having the most consecutive starts (six) while allowing five or more earned runs of any Red Sox pitcher since Red Ruffing in 1925. Read the rest of this entry »

Andrew Miller (AP)

With the 30-day window for his minor league rehab assignment coming to a close, Red Sox management faced a critical decision regarding Andrew Miller — whether to call up the 26-year-old left-hander or, if not, to either expose him to waivers (where he could have been claimed by another team) or explore his trade value. Ultimately, that dilemma became less difficult when right-hander Aaron Cook suffered a gashed left knee during his start on Saturday.

On Sunday, Cook landed on the disabled list, with the left-handed Miller taking his place on the active roster as he joins the team Sunday for its game against the Orioles.

The call-up to the Red Sox marks the culmination of a rehab stint that ended in Triple-A Pawtucket in which Miller was building up for the season following a hamstring injury incurred during spring training. Miller, who made 12 starting appearances with the Red Sox last season, worked out of the bullpen for Pawtucket. In his time with Boston’s Triple-A affiliate, Miller pitched in 10 games, logging 11 innings with a 5.73 ERA.

On initial review, Miller’s minor league statistics may look uninspiring, but they don’t tell a full story as Miller proved he was downright dominant and overpowering in certain aspects of the game. In those 11 innings Miller pitched, he had 23 strikeouts, which comes out to more than two strikeouts per inning. Additionally, opposing batters posted just a .105 batting average against him.

“I feel like I’ve been throwing the ball well,” Miller said. “It took a while to get back up here, I feel like I used almost every day available, but like I said, I’m happy to be here and hope to help contribute.”

Against left-handed batters, Miller was even more remarkable. In five innings of work against lefties, Miller struck out 13 batters and had opponents hitting a paltry .063 (1-for-16). Given those numbers, manager Bobby Valentine suggested that Miller will likely be used as “our first left-hander out of the bullpen and I’d like it to begin with getting left-handed hitters out.”

Miller has spent most of his career as a starter. Though he has relief experience, most of it was as a long-man or represented an on-the-fly transition while having pitched his way out of the rotation during the season. That being the case, this year represents the first time that the left-hander has been able to prepare for relief work entering the year. Miller said that making the change and coming out of the bullpen was a smooth transition.

“I felt good coming out of the bullpen so far,” Miller said. “I’m interested to see how it goes for an extended period of time.”

But even with those strikeout numbers and opposing batting averages, Miller has still struggled in a crucial aspect of his game — command. The former first-round pick of the Tigers gave up 14 walks in 11 innings, a number which is dwarfed by his strikeout totals, but is still a cause for concern. Read the rest of this entry »

Felix Doubront

Weather permitting, the red-hot Red Sox will take on the A’s in the second game of a three-game set Tuesday at Fenway Park. The game will pit Sox left-hander Felix Doubront against A’s rookie right-hander Jarrod Parker.

In his first year as a starter, Doubront has made four starts and been largely solid, especially considering his inexperience in a starting role. In those four starts, Doubront has collected just one decision, a win, and has posted a 4.09 ERA with 22 strikeouts and 10 walks. He has pitched no more than six innings in any outing, going five innings in two of his starts and six in the other two. In those starts, however, he has never given up more than four earned runs.

In what will be a season of many firsts for Doubront as a starting pitcher, Tuesday will mark the first time that he has faced the A’s. Doubront was solid, if unspectacular, in his first two major league seasons pitching at Fenway Park, posting a 1-1 record with a 4.43 ERA in 12 appearances, only two of which were starts. This season at home, Doubront has made two starts and has matched his season ERA with a 4.09 mark to go with 14 strikeouts and four walks. Doubront has never faced a batter in the A’s lineup in his two-plus MLB seasons.

As much inexperience as Doubront had as a starter entering the 2012 season, Parker is a different case study entirely. In his first season with the A’s, Parker has made just two career starts, with the first not coming until late in the 2011 season with the Diamondbacks. The 23-year-old right-hander has made one start in the 2012 season, a no-decision on April 25 against the White Sox. In that start, Parker pitched 6 1/3 innings and gave up just one earned run with five strikeouts and one walk.

Parker has never faced the Red Sox or any member of the Boston lineup.

Athletics vs. Doubront (LHP)

No current member of the A’s has faced Doubront.

Red Sox vs. Parker (RHP)

No current member of the Red Sox has faced Parker.

The last time the Red Sox were in the confines of Fenway Park was a moment that manager Bobby Valentine aptly described as “rock bottom.” The team had just lost its fifth consecutive game, its second straight loss at the hands of the hated Yankees that dropped the Red Sox’ record to 4-10. To pile on to the misery, the Red Sox had lost in excruciating fashion, surrendering a 9-0 lead heading into the sixth inning to ultimately lose 15-9.

Clay Buchholz

Now as the Red Sox return to Yawkey Way, the mood and fortune of the team is decidedly different, as it has used a seven-game Midwest road trip to turn things around. The team has won six of its past seven games to buoy its record to 10-11 and it hopes this recent wave of success can continue as it prepares to take on the A’s in a three-game home series beginning Monday. The first game of the series pits Clay Buchholz of the Red Sox against Tommy Milone of the A’s.

Coming off back-to-back seasons in which he had ERAs lower than 3.50, Buchholz has had a rough go of things in the 2012 season. Through four starts, the 27-year-old right-hander is 2-1 but has an 8.87 ERA and has struggled with his command, as evidenced by his 10 walks to just 11 strikeouts. He has given up at least five earned runs in each of his four starts.

Last season Buchholz made two starts against Oakland, posting a 1-0 record and a 5.40 ERA. One of those starts came in Boston, a June 3 game in which Buchholz went 4 2/3 innings and gave up five earned runs. That start proved to be something of an outlier, though, as Buchholz was consistently strong when pitching at Fenway Park, posting a 2-1 record with a 3.94 ERA. Two of Buchholz’s 2012 starts have come at Fenway. Buchholz is 1-1 in those games with a 6.92 ERA. Perhaps more alarmingly, Buchholz has allowed six home runs in those starts.

Against current members of the A’s, Buchholz is relatively inexperienced, having only faced six players in the A’s lineup for a combined 44 plate appearances. Two of the three A’s players with double-digit plate appearances against Buchholz — first baseman Daric Barton and catcher Kurt Suzuki — have batted .500 against Buchholz in those plate appearances. The six A’s players who have faced Buchholz collectively have a .316 batting average against him.

Entering just his second MLB season, and first with the A’s, Milone has been a pleasant surprise for Oakland. Through four starts, Milone is 3-1 with a 2.00 ERA with 13 strikeouts and six walks. Among Oakland starters, Milone has the best ERA and is tied for the most wins.

The 25-year-old left-hander, due to his limited time in the professional ranks, has never pitched at Fenway Park nor faced the Red Sox. In 2011, Milone was significantly worse on the road than at home, as he had a 6.30 ERA in two road starts compared to his 2.25 ERA in three home starts. Heading into the 2012 season, Milone had just five career starts (all with the Nationals). Milone has never faced a member of the Red Sox lineup.

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With their fortunes seemingly on the mend after a slow start, the Red Sox will look to continue their recent winning ways as they continue their Midwest road trip with the final game of a four-game series against the White Sox. The game will pit two of the teams’ best pitchers against each other as Josh Beckett takes to the mound for the Red Sox and Gavin Floyd will go for the White Sox.

Josh Beckett

Entering the season with some injury concerns, most notably to his right thumb, Beckett has made four starts this season and has been largely impressive. Beckett began the season with a miserable outing against the Tigers in which he gave up seven earned runs and five home runs in just 4 2/3 innings pitched.

Since then, however, Beckett has gone six innings or more and has not given up more than three earned runs in each of his three other starts, with his most masterful performance of the season coming in a 12-2 win over the Rays on April 13 in which he gave up just one earned run in eight innings. For the season, he is 2-2 with a 4.56 ERA, 16 strikeouts and six walks.

Beckett did not make an appearance against the White Sox in 2011, but he did have two starts against them in 2010. In those games, one of which was at home and the other on the road, Beckett was strong with a 3.65 ERA in 12 1/3 innings pitched with 14 strikeouts and six walks, though he was actually 0-1 in those appearances despite his solid showings. In the one game he pitched at U.S. Cellular Field, the site of Sunday’s game, Beckett struggled, pitching six innings and giving up four earned runs.

Beckett does have some level of experience against the White Sox, having previously faced 11 current players on the White Sox team. Among those 11 players, Beckett has faced four batters more than 10 times. Of those players with double-digit plate appearances, A.J. Pierzynski has had the most success against Beckett with a .333 batting average and eight hits in 26 career plate appearances.

The right-handed Floyd, now in his ninth MLB season, has been an anchor for the White Sox rotation for the past several seasons. Through four starts in 2012, Floyd has continued to be a reliable starter for the White Sox, with a 3.60 ERA and 22 strikeouts despite just a 1-3 record. Among White Sox starters, Floyd has the third-best ERA, as well as the third-most strikeouts and innings pitched.

Floyd faced the Red Sox twice in 2011, with both starts resulting in wins. Not only did Floyd win those games, but he was very impressive doing so, pitching 13 2/3 innings. One of those starts was at U.S. Cellular Field, a game in which Floyd pitched seven innings, giving up only one earned run and striking out six Red Sox batters.

For all of the experience that Beckett has facing the White Sox lineup, Floyd has that much more familiarity with facing the Red Sox. Though they have faced the same number of opposing batters in the past (11), Floyd has gone against eight of those 11 players 10 or more times (as opposed to Beckett’s four). Those 11 Red Sox hitters have largely struggled against Floyd, with a collective 2.09 batting average, but of the players with double-digit plate appearances, David Ortiz has had the most success, with a .318 batting average in 23 plate appearances, with seven hits, three of which were home runs.

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Felix Doubront

Felix Doubront and the Red Sox have faced many challenges and setbacks in the brief 2012 season, but perhaps their biggest obstacle yet will be staring them down on the mound Thursday at U.S. Cellular Field in Chicago — that is, perfection, as the Red Sox will be the first team to face White Sox pitcher Philip Humber since his perfect game Sunday against the Mariners.

It will be yet another tough task in a season full of struggles, as the Red Sox sit at 7-10 and the cellar of the American League East. However, the Sox have won their last three games and will look to continue that steak as they move from Minnesota to Chicago. In their effort to continue their recent winning ways, the Red Sox will be aided on the mound by a pitcher in Doubront who has been something of a pleasant surprise in what has thus far been a disappointing season for the team.

Through three starts, Doubront has a 3.94 ERA, along with 20 strikeouts to seven walks, although all three of his starts have resulted in no-decisions. The left-hander is coming off what might have been his best outing of the season, going six innings and giving up one earned run with seven strikeouts, though he ultimately had nothing to show for it as the Red Sox surrendered a 9-0 lead heading into the sixth inning to lose 15-9 to the Yankees on Sunday.

Doubront has never pitched against the White Sox or in U.S. Cellular Field in what is now his third MLB season. In career road games, he has been less than stellar, going 1-1 with a 5.40 ERA in 11 games, only one of which has been a start. That start came in his first start this season on April 9 against the Blue Jays, a game in which he threw five innings and gave up two earned runs.

In addition to never having faced the White Sox in his career, Doubront has never faced a single hitter in the White Sox lineup. Through 17 games in the 2012 season, the White Sox have proven to be a fairly average offense, ranking eighth among American League teams in batting average with the team batting .248.

Humber, the third overall pick in the 2004 MLB draft, has bounced around to four teams since debuting with the Mets in 2006, but he’s coming off the signature moment of his career as he threw the 21st perfect game in major league history against the Mariners.

That performance came in his second game of the season. In his first start, Humber wasn’t quite perfect, but he did have an impressive outing as he went 5 1/3 innings and gave up only one earned run with seven strikeouts against the Orioles. However, as with Doubront against the Yankees, the White Sox squandered a late lead by giving up six runs in the ninth inning, eventually losing 10-4. For the season, Humber is 1-0 with a 0.63 ERA, 16 strikeouts and three walks in two outings.

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