September 1st, 2007 will be a day that Clay Buchholz will never forget. In just his second MLB start, Buchholz did what no Boston Red Sox rookie had ever done, throw a no-hitter. The Red Sox bats and gloves helped Buchholz out as they beat the Orioles 10-0 in front of another sellout crowd at the Fens. Buchholz walked 3, struck out 9 and hit one batter.
Buchholz should thank Dustin Pedroia for his amazing diving stop of a Miguel Tejada grounder in the 7th inning which was basically the toughest play for the Sox defense throughout the night.
The no-hitter by Buchholz was the 17th in Red Sox history and the first since Derek Lowe threw one against the Devil Rays on April 27, 2004. Buchholz is also the second pitcher in MLB history to throw a no-hitter in just his second start. Wilson Alvarez also had one in his second start back in 1991 for the White Sox against the Orioles. Only one pitcher, Bobo Hollomon, has thrown one in his first start. He did it for the St. Louis Browns back in 1953.
Buchholz didn’t even find out he was starting until the 3rd inning of the Pawsox game last night. The reason being is that Tim Wakefield was scratched from his start last night and Julian Tavarez was pushed up a day. It ended up being a blessing in disguise for the Boston Red Sox.
I want to show something that Steve sent me early in the game. He found this on soxprospects.com.
Scouting Report: Buchholz has a low-to-mid 90s four-seam fastball, a two-seam fastball with decent movement, a slider, a hard 12-to-6 curveball, and a change-up. In 2006, Buchholz actually let loose towards the end of the season, when his fastball was sitting around 96 mph. However, over the course of the season his fastball typically sits around 91-94 and tops out at about 97 mph. His plus change-up is generally a straight change that sits around 78-82 mph; he also throws a circle change. His curveball, the best in the organization, sits between 76-81 mph with a knee-buckling bite. On any given night, Buchholz’s curve or change can be unhittable, and he tends to rely on whichever is on as his out pitch throughout the game. His slider, while average to above average, is a bit behind his other secondary pitches and sits in the low to mid 80s. Mixes in all of his pitches phenomenally. Good demeanor on the mound. Pitches well under pressure, pitching coaches have said he has ice water running through his veins. Nice pick-off move. Struggled with consistency early in his pro career, but otherwise has ace makeup.
As Steve said in the email to me, we saw all of that tonight. His fastball was about 94 mph tonight. His changeup and curveball were just flat out nasty tonight. His nice pick-off move caught Brian Roberts napping off of first base in the 6th after he had walked Roberts. And, he showed moxie out on the mound as he remained calm out there on the whole time.
Where does Buchholz go from here? A win in his first start and a no-hitter in his second. Maybe he should think about retiring. Just kidding Sox fans. The future is really bright for this 23-year old with the Boston Red Sox.
Video of the the no-hitter below.
Notes and musings:
The Red Sox activated Doug Mirabelli from the 15-day DL today.The players called up were Clay Buchholz, Craig Breslow, Bryan Corey, Brandon Moss, Jacoby Ellsbury, and Royce Clayton. Jon Lester will be called up tomorrow to start for the Sox.
Tim Wakefield will play catch on Monday to see how his back feels and if things are good, he will throw his side session on Tuesday and his regular start on Thursday in Baltimore.
Still no word on Manny Ramirez’s MRI. J.D. Drew is available to pinch-hit off the bench tonight as his foot feels better.
Youkilis hit his first homer at the Fens since June 30th against Texas.
Jason Varitek has caught the last 3 Red Sox no-hitters.
During Francona’s press conference after the game a phone rang and he just looked up and blurted out “It might be a president.” The room cracked up on that one. Francona HATES when phones ring during his time with the media.
