For the first time in his career, Clay Buchholz has allowed at least five earned runs in three straight starts. (AP)

The absence of Clay Buchholz from the Red Sox rotation had a destabilizing effect on the 2011 team that contributed to the team’s collapse in September. This year, however, even though Buchholz is back, he has done little to restore order to the starting staff.

Quite the contrary. Friday, in a 6-2 Red Sox loss to the Yankees, Buchholz continued an early-season string of rough line scores. The Yankees clubbed five homers (all of the solo variety) against the 27-year-old, who took the loss while allowing nine hits and walking two in six innings. He struck out two.

Considering that he gave up five homers, Buchholz actually did a solid job of minimizing the damage and preventing the game from getting out of hand. Aside from the five bad pitches that the Yankees blasted over the sundry Fenway Park fences, the right-hander was relatively precise. Still, it was difficult to look at the outing as a positive one after the Sox suffered their fourth straight defeat to drop to 2-9.

“Against a lot of the hitters, he was very competitive and then those home runs, out of the windup, no one on, they were perplexing,” said Sox manager Bobby Valentine. “He had a good curveball. His fastball was located down nicely a lot of the times but at least four of the times, passed ball wasn’t located properly. He’s still building. This is a guy, he didn’t pitch all of last year and he’s still getting his feet underneath him.”

Buchholz (1-2, 9.00 ERA) disputed the “still building” theory. He suggested that he feels like, physically, he’s in position to succeed, and that he simply needs to locate better.

That certainly seemed the case with some of the homers he allowed on Friday, since in most of those at-bats, Buchholz had counts that should have put the Yankees on the defensive. The Sox’ starter left a 2-2 fastball over the plate to Nick Swisher, elevated an 0-2 changeup to Eric Chavez and later left a 90 mph cutter to Chavez on a 3-2 pitch. All of those were tattooed for homers, as was a first-pitch cutter to Alex Rodriguez and a 1-0 fastball to Russell Martin.

“It’s really simple. I made five mistakes today, and they hit them,” Buchholz frowned. “I feel 100 percent healthy. I don’t think last year has anything to do with it. Today was just a matter of missing up in the zone. When you get a team like that can hit mistakes, you can’t miss up in the zone or on the plate. That was the case today.”

Such a claim might have seemed more heartening to the pitcher if Friday’s loss to the Yankees had come after a string of strong performances. But that hasn’t been the case. Read the rest of this entry »

Bobby Valentine and Joe Girardi did not see eye-to-eye on the end of Thursday's game between the Red Sox and Yankees. (AP)

FORT MYERS, Fla. — There was some anticipation from the time that Bobby Valentine was hired that the dynamic of the Red Sox-Yankees rivalry could be different. The notion gained steam when Valentine, at the winter meetings, said simply, “I hate the Yankees.”

Still, it would have been hard to imagine that the proverbial pot would be stirred in a spring training exhibition game that ended in a 4-4 tie on Thursday night. Nonetheless, on a night when former Red Sox manager Terry Francona was in JetBlue Park as an ESPN analyst, Valentine engaged in his first controversy with his new rivals in the Northeast.

Valentine expressed his displeasure with the Yankees for ending an exhibition game after nine innings in a 4-4 tie. He suggested that New York had the necessary pitching to keep playing, and offered a few digs at Yankees counterpart Joe Girardi.

After the Sox tied the game in the bottom of the ninth with a successful suicide squeeze, Valentine sent right-hander Clayton Mortensen to the mound for the top of the 10th. However, after Mortensen (who has yet to give up a run this spring in three appearances spanning six innings, striking out seven and walking two) warmed up, the Yankees filed out of their dugout and towards their bus back to Tampa Bay.

Valentine was asked about the squeeze bunt by outfielder Jason Repko, which he complimented, but without further prompting, he began to vent about the Yankees’ unilateral decision to end the game.

“It was regretful that Mortensen warmed up though and then we were told they weren’t going to play extra innings. I don’t think that was very courteous,” said Valentine. “They had plenty of pitching. Probably too long of a ride. They could have known that going in.

“The umpire came over and said we couldn’t play. I don’t care about not playing. It’s just, why do I have to warm up my pitcher who’s trying to make a team come in in a tie game against the Yankees and maybe help him make a team and instead he has to walk off the mound and take a shower? That’s just not very courteous.” Read the rest of this entry »

CC Sabathia (AP)

Yankees ace CC Sabathia won’t be testing the open market. Instead, the Yankees moved aggressively to ensure that the mountainous left-hander will remain in slimming pinstripes for years to come.

Sabathia had the right to opt out of the final four years and $92 million of the seven-year, $161 million deal he signed with the Yankees prior to the 2009 season. However, instead of exercising that right, he agreed upon a one-year, $25 million extension that includes a $25 million team vesting option for 2017 that includes a $5 million buyout. The result of the deal is that Sabathia will now earn a guaranteed $24.4 million per year over the next five seasons, the largest average annual value for a multi-year deal in major league history.

Sabathia, who turned 31 in July, has been dominant for the Yankees during his three seasons in New York. He has made 101 starts (tied for third most in the majors), logged 705 innings (fourth in the majors), has a 3.18 ERA (14th in the majors and fifth in the AL, min. 400 innings), 59 wins (second in the majors) and a .720 winning percentage (second). He has been as consistent as virtually any starter in the majors over the last five years, making between 33 and 35 starts each year, winning 17-21 games every year, logging at least 230 innings and striking out at least 197 batters in each season.

“My goal the whole time was to be able to finish my career as a Yankee,” Sabathia said in a video posted on Twitter. “I look forward to seeing everybody out at the ballpark next year.”

Jon Lester was at a loss after suffering his third defeat in as many starts. (AP)

NEW YORK — In its own right, the outing was disconcerting enough for the Red Sox. At a time when his team is trying to cling to a postseason berth, Jon Lester delivered one of the worst outings of his career.

The left-hander pitched just 2 2/3 innings, his shortest outing of 2011. In that brief time on the mound, he permitted as many runs (8, a season-high) and hits (8) as he recorded outs in the Sox’ 9-1 loss to the Yankees.

It continued a stretch in which the pitcher has struggled at a time when his team needed him. He has lost his last three starts (the second longest stretch of consecutive losing starts in his career), averaging fewer than five innings per outing while getting tagged for 16 runs in 13 2/3 innings (10.54 ERA).

The pitcher could offer no explanation for his recent string of poor outings, though he did suggest that health was not an issue.

“I’m not tired. I’m not hurt. There’s nothing wrong with me. I wouldn’t go out there if there was something wrong with me. It’s nothing physically,” said Lester. “It’s just one of those deals. I’ve been getting my [butt] kicked lately. It’s not a good time to have this stretch.

“I stink. If I had the answer, it wouldn’t happen. You go 32-0 every year if you had the answer of why you suck sometimes. It just happens. It’s part of baseball,” he added. “Teams go through stretches like this like we’re going. Pitchers go through stretches like I’m doing. It’s the name of the game. Other times, you throw the ball right down the middle and it gets popped up. That’s baseball. You make a pitch on the black, and it gets hit 400 feet.” Read the rest of this entry »

Jon Lester

The Red Sox and Yankees wrap up their penultimate series of the regular season Thursday night in Boston before the Sox welcome another challenge in hosting the Rangers at Fenway. Jon Lester will look to continue his three-game win streak while A.J. Burnett takes another crack at turning around his disappointing season.

Lester (14-6, 3.09 ERA) has been on a roll as of late. After taking two tough-luck losses to start the moth, he’s allowed just one run in each of his last three starts and recorded three straight wins. Since the end of May, 10 of Lester’s last 13 outings have been quality starts. On the other hand, he’s struggled a bit with his control. The left-hander has walked at least one hitter in each of his 25 starts, and he’s given out 16 free passes in five August outings.

Lester has had plenty of experience against the Yankees’ 2011 lineup. In three starts, he’s 2-1 with a 5.00 ERA. The one loss came in Lester’s most recent matchup, a 3-2 defeat on Aug. 5. The Red Sox held a 2-0 lead heading into the sixth inning, but a three-run rally put New York on top for good, just the second time the Sox dropped a game to their division rivals this season.

The 27-year-old has experienced some issues at Fenway this season, going 5-4 with a 3.44 ERA, compared with a 9-2 record and 2.84 ERA on the road. Opponents are hitting .255 vs. Lester in Boston and just .201 away from home. The left-hander has allowed 14 of his 17 home runs against righties, and he has walked 29 more right-handed hitters than left-handed hitters.

The Yankees are hitting .243 with eight home runs against Lester in 295 combined plate appearances. Derek Jeter is the only Yankees hitter with a plus-.300 batting average against Lester. In fact, he’s the only Yankee hitter with an average above .250 vs. the left-hander. In his team-high 48 matchups with Lester, Jeter is hitting .333 with two RBIs, two walks and nine strikeouts. Mark Teixeira is hitting .235 with a home run, three RBIs and 14 strikeouts in 39 plate appearances, while Alex Rodriguez is at .188 with three home runs and nine strikeouts in 35 matchups with Lester.

Things have gotten progressively worse for Burnett (9-11, 5.31 ERA) in 2011, and its looking less and less likely the $82.5 million pitcher will even make the playoff rotation. New York fans may have been encouraged by Burnett’s win over Kansas City two weeks ago — his first since June — but the right-hander allowed three runs on 10 hits and did not pitch through the sixth inning. After that outing, Burnett gave up seven runs to the Twins in 1 1/2 innings and nine runs to the Orioles in five innings. In the month of August, Burnett is 1-2 with an ERA of 11.91 in five starts.

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Josh Beckett

The Red Sox and Yankees play the middle game of a three-game series Wednesday night at Fenway Park as the two bitter rivals fight for home field advantage in the playoffs. Boston will turn to Josh Beckett, who looks to continue his hot streak despite making his first start in a week. New York will hope Phil Hughes can turn things around against the Red Sox, as the young right-hander is winless against Boston this season.

Beckett (11-5, 2.43 ERA) is in the middle of his worst month of 2011 so far, which is hard to believe considering he’s 2-1 with a 3.60 ERA in August. The one major blemish came against the Mariners on Aug. 13, when Beckett allowed five runs on eight hits in five innings. His four other outings this month were all quality starts and Red Sox wins.

One of those quality starts came against the Yankees on Aug. 7, when Beckett gave up just one run over six innings. He also held the Rangers to one run over six innings in his last start, a 13-2 win over Texas last Wednesday. One point of concern may be the home run numbers against Beckett; he’s given up at least one longball in each of his last seven starts, including two against the Indians and two against the Mariners. His 16 home runs allowed are the 28th most in the American League.

Beckett has dominated the Yankees in four starts this season, going 3-0 with a 1.00 ERA. The Red Sox haven’t lost to the Yankees in a Beckett start since last August. The 31-year-old wasn’t nearly as successful against New York in 2010, when he went 1-2 with a 10.04 ERA in five starts. Of course, an injury-riddled season left Beckett with a 5.78 ERA for the entire year, compared to his current ERA of 2.43, which ranks fourth in the majors.

The Boston starter has only lost once at Fenway Park this season, a 4-3 defeat at the hands of the Royals on July 28. The game was lost in the fourth inning, when Kansas City scored all four runs thanks to a three-run homer and a fielding error by Drew Sutton. Despite the loss, Beckett is still 4-1 with a 1.95 ERA at home.

The Yankees are hitting .264 with 18 home runs in 543 plate appearances against Beckett. Bobby Abreu is the only player in major league history to have faced the right-hander more than Derek Jeter, and the long-running Jeter-Beckett showdown has yet to find a decisive victor. In 93 matchups, Jeter is hitting .291 with four doubles, two home runs, nine RBIs and twelve strikeouts. Robinson Cano is the only Yankee with a batting average over .300 against Beckett, as he’s hitting .324 with eight doubles and three home runs in 75 plate appearances. Cano isn’t the only Yankee with good power numbers against the Boston starter, as Alex Rodriguez, Nick Swisher and Curtis Granderson also have three home runs against Beckett, while Mark Teixeira has two.

The cards will be stacked against Hughes (4-4, 6.46 ERA) when he takes the mound against the Red Sox ace. The right-hander hasn’t recorded a win against the Red Sox since May 7, 2010, and that was thanks to a 10-run performance from the Yankees offense. It’s been a miserable season for Hughes, as his ERA has never been lower than 5.75 all year.

The 25-year-old has struggled to find a rhythm because of a three-month stint on the disabled list. After showing depleted velocity and allowing 16 runs in his first 10 innings of the season, Hughes was sent to the DL with a shoulder injury. He pitched two of those first 10 innings against the Red Sox on April 8, allowing six runs on seven hits to give Boston its first win of the season.

Earlier this month, Hughes managed to pitch back-to-back quality starts for the first time all year, holding the Twins and Rays under three runs over six-plus innings. However, the streak was snapped by the A’s in his last start, when Hughes allowed six runs in 2 2/3 innings. The Yankees still managed a win, thanks to a league-record three grand slams.

In his last appearance against the Red Sox, Hughes came on to pitch the 10th inning at Fenway Park in a 2-2 game on Aug. 7. After yielding a one-out double to David Ortiz, Hughes gave up a walk-off single to Josh Reddick and took his fourth loss of the year. It wasn’t the first time the right-hander struggled at Fenway Park; over the last three years, Hughes is 2-1 with a 6.00 ERA in Boston.

As a team, the Red Sox are hitting .256 with two home runs in 104 combined plate appearances against Hughes. Ortiz is batting .467 with a home run, three triples and five RBIs in 18 matchups, while Jacoby Ellsbury is 3-for-6 with a double and two walks. Although Boston’s lefties have done well against Hughes, right-handed hitters like Dustin Pedroia and Marco Scutaro have struggled. Pedroia is hitting .200 with a home run and three strikeouts in 17 plate appearances, and Scutaro is at .199 with two strikeouts in his team-high 23 matchups with Hughes.

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Buster Olney

ESPN baseball insider Buster Olney joined the Mut & Merloni Show on Tuesday to discuss the Red Sox’ potential playoff scenarios and some possible waiver wire acquisitions as the regular season winds down. To hear the full interview, check out the Mut & Merloni audio on demand page.

If the MLB playoffs started tomorrow, the Red Sox would play the Rangers in the ALDS, while the Yankees would face the Tigers. If Monday night’s 4-0 loss in Texas was a sign of things to come, the Red Sox might want to avoid that first-round matchup. Still, Olney said both the Rangers and Tigers would present a challenge in a five-game series.

“I think it’s a flip of the coin between the two teams,” said Olney. “Because Texas, they’ve shown that they’ve got the firepower to go offensively against the Yankees or the Red Sox, and they’ve got C.J. Wilson, who’s going to be the most coveted free agent pitcher on the market this fall. I don’t think that they have as much depth necessarily as the Tigers do with their pitching. But on a given day, when a Wilson pitches or Derek Holland has a day where he’s actually throwing strikes, they can match up. On the other hand, Detroit has [Justin] Verlander and he’s the best pitcher in baseball right now. I don’t really think there’s an advantage for the Red Sox or the Yankees to try to position themselves to face one of these two teams. It’s going to be difficult either way.

“I think that right now, [Tigers pitcher] Max Scherzer on a given day can be dominant. If you catch him on the right day, he can be the guy who can hold a good team to a couple hits. He can also be a guy that can give up 10 runs, and Texas has a similar rotation. Holland has had days where he’s been absolutely lights out and he’s had days where he’s having a tough time getting through the second inning. [Rangers pitcher] Colby Lewis can be a guy that I think a good offensive team can get to but we saw in the postseason last year he was pretty good. I think Detroit with [Jose] Valverde at the back of their bullpen, they’ve gotten better and so that’s why I think they have a little more depth than Texas does.”

The Red Sox were shut out by Wilson and the Rangers bullpen Monday, while Erik Bedard took the loss after giving up four runs on seven hits through six innings. The newly acquired pitcher hasn’t quite hit his stride yet, but Olney said Sox GM Theo Epstein made the right move at the trade deadline, especially because he passed on Ubaldo Jimenez.

“In the times when I’ve seen [Bedard] pitch, I thought that he could be a guy that on the right day, he can give you something,” Olney said. “I tweeted out the night that you saw his stuff because inning-to-inning, he’s got good stuff. He can actually be a little bit the way Bartolo Colon can be for the Yankees. When he’s right, he can actually help them, and I thought it was the right move for them because they had the same questions the Yankees did about [Jimenez], which was: OK, you’ve got a guy who was dominant in the first half of 2010, he still shows flashes where he’s throwing 95 miles per hour, he’s got a great contract, the exact kind of contract that if you’re the Rockies, you would want to acquire. Why are they looking to move him? And you know that’s why the Yankees in the end, in their conversation on Thursday of trade deadline week, they told the Rockies, ‘Look, we are not going to trade for him unless we can do a complete physical.’ They were told, ‘No,’ and that’s why they were very limited in what they were willing to talk about at the trade deadline. The Red Sox were the same way, and I think both teams made the right decision. Cleveland, in the end, we’ll see if they ended up giving too much.”

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