ESPN

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- The Boston Red Sox’s winning streak ended at five games with a 2-1 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays Wednesday night at Tropicana Field.

Clay Buchholz’s outing ended Boston’s string of five consecutive quality starts. He lasted only five innings (plus two batters in the sixth) and allowed two runs on six hits with one walk and five strikeouts. He tossed a total of 87 pitches (59 strikes). He also hit a batter and was called for a balk.

In fact, for the second time in the last nine games a Red Sox starter balked in a run. Buchholz became the latest victim on Wednesday during a scoreless game in the bottom of the second inning.

With two outs and runners on the corners, Buchholz was called for the miscue, which allowed Tampa’s Carlos Pena to score, giving the Rays a 1-0 lead. Fellow Red Sox starter Daniel Bard had a similar brain freeze last week.

Tampa starter Jeremy Hellickson worked six innings and allowed only one run on five hits with two walks and six strikeouts.

With the score 1-1, the Rays’ Matt Joyce led off the bottom of the sixth with a comebacker off Buchholz’s left heel. Joyce was safe on the play. Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine and team trainers came out to examine Buchholz, who stayed in the game for one more batter before he was removed in favor of lefty Andrew Miller.

“It’s a little sore but nothing big,” Buchholz said after the game. “I didn’t even need to get X-rays or anything like that. I’ve had broken bones before and it doesn’t feel like a broken bone.”

With no outs and runners on the corners, Tampa’s Luke Scott lifted a high fly ball to right field. Cody Ross had trouble with the lights and roof at the Trop and could not position himself properly to make a strong throw home, as Joyce scored from third on the sacrifice fly to give the Rays a 2-1 lead.

BALK AGAIN: The balks didn’t end with Buchholz. In the bottom of the seventh, reliever Franklin Morales balked and allowed a runner on first to advance. In the bottom of the eighth, he again was called for a balk, allowing Scott to advance to third.

SCARY MOMENT: Morales was removed from the game after he drilled the Rays’ Will Rhymes on the elbow with a pitch with one out in the eighth. After Rhymes was checked out by trainers, he made his way to first base, then collapsed. He remained on the ground for a few minutes before he was taken off on a golf cart.

TWO IS A LONELY NUMBER: Entering Wednesday’s game, Red Sox cleanup hitter Adrian Gonzalez had hit safely in seven of his previous nine games, carrying with him a .287 average with 20 RBIs this season. However, he has only two homers, with his last one coming on April 17.

NAVA-BOOM CONTINUES: Red Sox outfielder Daniel Nava continues to be an on-base machine. He entered Wednesday’s game with a .708 OBP since his recall on May 10. He provided a RBI single in the top of the fourth with a sagging liner to left-center that tied the game at 1-1. He has hit safely in all seven games since his call-up. He has also reached base safely in 18 of 28 at-bats.

DO I, OR DON’T I: Red Sox rookie third baseman Will Middlebrooks, along with his timely and consistent offensive surge, also has played solid defense since being called up from Triple-A Pawtucket on May 2. In the bottom of the third Wednesday night, he quickly found himself in the midst of having to make a split-second decision when the Rays’ Elliot Johnson dropped a bunt down the third-base line. Middlebrooks had a good jump on the ball, and even though it appeared to be rolling foul, he snared it in fair territory and had to hold it as Johnson reached base safely to lead off the inning. Buchholz retired the next three batters to get out of the inning.

YOUK’S REHAB: Third baseman Kevin Youkilis (back strain) began his minor league rehab assignment with the PawSox in Wednesday night in Durham, N.C. He served as Pawtucket’s DH against the Durham Bulls and went 1-for-2, including a double, a walk and a run scored. He’ll have Thursday off before playing third base for the PawSox on Friday. If he continues to progress, it’s possible he could rejoin the Red Sox on their three-city road trip.

UP NEXT: The Red Sox will send left-hander Felix Doubront (3-1, 4.46 ERA) to the mound on Thursday to face Tampa lefty Matt Moore (1-3, 5.31).

BOSTON -- In between starts, Clay Buchholz got a haircut. Based on the disparity of results between his previous outing and his latest one Friday night at Fenway Park, the Boston Red Sox clubhouse may begin to resemble a barber shop.

Buchholz has had many better starts in his career than the one he put forth in a 7-5 victory over the Cleveland Indians. He didn't need to throw a perfect game, though. He simply needed to have some semblance of a solid outing after a historically poor run to begin the year.

Mission accomplished. The freshly shorn Buchholz allowed three earned runs on eight hits and three walks in 6 1/3 innings. It was his first quality start in nearly one year at Fenway Park. He lowered his ERA from 9.09 to 8.31. He did not record a single strikeout but did manage to keep the ball in the yard -- Buchholz had allowed 10 home runs in his first six starts.

Prior to the game, Boston manager Bobby Valentine put it bluntly when asked what he needed to see from his rotation. "Pitch better," he said. Again, mission accomplished.

An indictment on win-loss records: Buchholz is 4-1 to begin a season for the first time in his career. In fact, he had been 3-1 only once and that was in his abbreviated debut with the Sox back in 2007. To think that the year that his ERA reads like a 100-yard dash time is the first year he wins four of his first five decisions says all you need to know about the merits of run support.

Buchholz entered leading all major league pitchers in that category. After the Red Sox jumped all over Indians starter Ubaldo Jimenez, Buchholz had received 42 runs in 39 innings this year, or 9.69 runs of support per nine innings.

Too slow with the hook? There was some talk in the press box that Valentine waited a batter or two or three too long to get Buchholz out of the game. It's a fair point. He began the seventh inning at 92 pitches and the bullpen has been severely overworked. Still, there was great incentive in allowing Buchholz to exit this one feeling good about things. He got the first out but gave up two singles and a walk before Valentine finally grabbed him after 111 pitches.

A walk, a single and an error allowed three more runs -- two earned -- to be added to Buchholz's line before he could hit the showers.

Pressure, for once: While the bullpen has performed beyond the wildest dreams of anyone who saw it stink up the joint during the first three weeks of the season, it has not had to protect many leads of late. The high-leverage situations were kept to a minimum.

Given a higher dose of intensity, the 'pen bent but didn't break on Friday. Five relievers combined to give up four hits and three walks in 2 2/3 innings and allowed each of the runners that Buchholz left behind to score.

Varitek's influence: Possibly. Jason Varitek was known for his many attributes behind the plate, among them the way he would stonewall incoming runners with a firmly planted left foot. It was as if the foot had taken root where he put it down, and players sliding into him would often never touch home plate.

That's exactly what happened in the top of the second inning, when Jarrod Saltalamacchia blocked Jack Hannahan's slide. Because of Saltalamacchia's leg, Hannahan was unable to get a foot on the plate. As he attempted to get back up and go touch the dish, Saltalamacchia tagged him.

Hannahan argued, but not nearly as vehemently as third-base coach Steve Smith, who was ejected in a matter of a few seconds. You may recall Smith as the man in the middle of a bench-clearing incident at Fenway Park on Aug. 3, 2010. He and former Red Sox manager Terry Francona got into a very heated conversation before Smith was ejected.

According to Indians media relations, Smith has been ejected 11 times in his career, a pretty hefty sum for a third-base coach.

Speaking of defense: It was in Thursday night's Rapid Reaction that we mentioned Daniel Nava's merit as a left fielder. He won't win a Gold Glove, but he does a solid job whenever planted in front of the Green Monster.

It was Nava's throw that cut down Hannahan at home plate. It was Nava's running catch headed toward the line that ended the top of the third with two men in scoring position. Before that it was Nava's clean play of a carom off the Monster that kept that runner at third from scoring.

Nava followed up the running grab with a leadoff double in the bottom of the third on a play that would've been a single for most. He later scored on a Pete Rose-like face-first flop at home plate. The hustle was notable for a team that needs a spark.

BOSTON -- After Robert Andino took him deep for a three-run homer in the top of the fourth inning on Sunday, Clay Buchholz just stared in at home plate for the longest time, completely still. He may have been gazing at his catcher, perhaps upset with a pitch selection. Maybe plate umpire James Hoye was the target of Buchholz's glare.

More than likely, Buchholz just didn't want to turn around and catch any more of the merry-go-round on the bases. Unfortunately, the sight of opponents running around the diamond is becoming an all-too-familiar one for the struggling righty.

"Pretty frustrated right now," said Buchholz after his ERA soared to 9.09 in what eventually became a 17-inning loss to the Baltimore Orioles.

The Andino home run gave the Orioles a 5-0 lead. Ryan Flaherty and J.J. Hardy followed with hard singles that ended the afternoon for Buchholz, who also walked four in his 3 2/3 innings.

This one-time phenom who threw a no-hitter in his second career start and who nearly won an ERA crown in 2010 now has the distinction of becoming the first Red Sox pitcher in 87 seasons to allow five earned runs or more in six consecutive games. That's an alarming turnaround that may cause the Red Sox to go back to the drawing board.

Manager Bobby Valentine is not ready to do so yet. Or at least not quite ready to consider it. He was still reeling from the marathon loss when the question came in a postgame media session. But his uncertainty spoke to the nature of the situation.

"Clay's performance was not what he wanted it to be, for sure," Valentine said. "Not what I wanted it to be. Left a lot of pitches in a real hittable zone. Gave up a lot of hard-hit balls. ... There were a lot of pitchers used today. He was one of them and I've got to figure out what to do, how to get by with all these guys who really did a yeoman's job today. I have no plans to change them."

Valentine paused before adding to his response, perhaps with Buchholz in mind.

"At this time," he said.

And who could blame him? The Red Sox have actually won half of Buchholz's starts but that was due to a massive amount of run support. More outings such as Sunday's, when the bullpen absolutely needed some length from its starter, will lead to many more results in the wrong column.

Despite diminished velocity (his fastball was sitting around 90, 91 mph) and talk of a possible blister problem five days ago, Buchholz insists he is physically OK. In fact, he feels he is making some good pitches, which makes the results all the more agonizing for him.

He knows that something is missing, but he is not sure what it is.

"I've been upset with myself for the past six weeks," he said. "It's just frustrating to go out there and make some good pitches and still get hit. It's not easy. I have to keep telling myself it's not that easy. It looks easy for some guys but sometimes you have to go through some struggles to get where you want to be. I think that's where I'm at right now. Just gotta find a way through it."

So do the Sox, if indeed they stick with Buchholz through thick and thin. A phantom injury or a demotion to the pen may be necessary. Something, anything, has to stop the merry-go-round.

BOSTON -- Roughly one hour after the Orioles-Red Sox game on Sunday, someone dressed as a ram mascot with an unidentifiable blue jersey on was running the bases at Fenway Park with a video crew in tow and Lionel Richie's "All Night Long" blaring overhead. And that wasn't even close to being the oddest sight at Fenway Park on Sunday.

In the longest Sox game in terms of innings and time (17 innings spanning 6 hours, 7 minutes) since 2006, Baltimore outlasted the reeling hosts by a 9-6 margin. It was the kind of game that would best be summed up in a "War and Peace"-sized recap. But that's ridiculous. Here is your Cliffs Notes version, 10 observations taken from a wild one at Fenway:

(1) It is so rare to see a position player pitching. It is even rarer to see a position player pitching in a tie game. It is like spotting a unicorn to see position players for both teams squaring off at the same time in a tie game. Such was the case as this one boiled down to Orioles designated hitter Chris Davis and Red Sox designated hitter Darnell McDonald in a matchup for the ages. Or the aged, as the case was by the time the game ended.

Davis got the win with two scoreless frames, showcasing a heater that reached the low 90s and some off-speed stuff that did not look all that bad. Just ask Adrian Gonzalez, who flailed at what looked like a changeup to strike out with two men on in the bottom of the 17th.

(2) That strikeout was part of an awful day at the plate for Gonzalez. He seemed to have broken out of a slump with back-to-back three-hit efforts, but this one will be tough to get past. Gonzalez, who did not speak with reporters, became the first Red Sox cleanup hitter ever to go 0-for-8. Included in that performance were two strikeouts and one double play. He made first-pitch outs in the 10th, 12th and 15th.

Given all that, Bobby Valentine was quick to point out that Gonzalez was offering up his services in the event the manager needed anyone to pitch beyond McDonald.

(3) The silver lining again was the bullpen. Taking out McDonald's one inning, Red Sox relievers threw 12 1/3 scoreless innings. They threw 13 1/3 innings over the first two games of the series. When asked if a move is necessary to survive the upcoming series in Kansas City, Valentine was non-committal. But it seems almost impossible to begin that set without adding a fresh arm. The only pitcher Valentine said was definitely not available was Scott Atchison, who threw 23 pitches one day after throwing 35.

(4) When a runner is thrown out at the plate, especially in a big situation, it always seems like a mistake. Why did they send him, the masses will scream. However, it is hard to blame the Red Sox for trying to score Marlon Byrd from first base on a Mike Aviles double in the 16th. When you haven't scored in seven innings and you haven't won since Tuesday and you get a ball in the gap with two outs, why not? The Orioles made a great relay to nail Byrd by several steps. One hesitation or extra bounce in the outfield and the Sox are mobbing Byrd at home and Aviles at second.

(5) In large part because of its quirky dimensions and the close proximity of fans, Fenway Park has so often played into the hands of the Red Sox. Few places in all of sports boast such a distinct home-field (or home-court or home-ice) advantage. The club wins 50 games here on a yearly basis just by showing up.

Not anymore. After dropping 10 of their final 14 games at Fenway last season, Boston has dropped 10 of its first 14 this season. For those of you without an abacus, that's an 8-20 stretch at the Fens. You don't need any adding machines to recognize that as an extreme departure from the norm.

(6) Amid the wonderful performance by the bullpen were two standout jobs by lefties Andrew Miller and Rich Hill. Miller got the last out of the fourth inning after taking over for Clay Buchholz and then struck out the side in the fifth. Consider that in his 10 appearances for Pawtucket, Miller had just two perfect outings.

Also consider the fact that Hill, just four games into his return from Tommy John surgery, worked into a third inning of relief. He never managed an out in that third frame, walking the leadoff man and getting yanked, but the fact that he was sent back out for more was a tad surprising. Don't expect him to be working Monday in Kansas City as well.

(7) Pretty incredible how things are developing between the Sox and O's. With Sunday's win Baltimore is back in first place in the American League East, 7½ games ahead of last-place Boston. And this was a rivalry once so one-sided that the Sox were 64-25 against the Orioles from 2005 through 2009.

Baltimore's sweep is its first of the three-game variety at Fenway Park in nearly 18 years. Yikes.

(8) The term "rookie mistake" was uttered several times after Will Middlebrooks failed to run out a ball that bounced fair down the left-field line in the bottom of the 11th. His lapse in judgment turned a sure double into a single, and with two outs in the inning it loomed large.

However, Valentine is 100 percent correct in referencing the odd wind patterns in that part of the field and how it can fool players who are not accustomed to it. A handful of times every season a left fielder overruns a ball that blows back into fair territory behind him. Nine times out of 10 it is an opposing player. The 10th time it is Jeremy Hermida, or at least it was in 2010, when he made a mockery of such plays.

(9) Just in case you need to be reminded, the winning pitcher was Chris Davis, who also struck out five times and grounded into a double play, and the losing pitcher was Darnell McDonald, who pinch-ran for David Ortiz in the eighth. That's the kind of game it was.

(10) Felix Doubront has yet to last into the seventh inning in eight career starts. With a bullpen in tatters heading to Kansas City, now's the time, Felix.

BOSTON -- Rapid reaction after the Baltimore Orioles outlasted the Boston Red Sox 9-6 in 17 innings:


OK, he left this one several hours before it ended, but let us start with Clay Buchholz. The rest of it was a maelstrom of errors (five of them), double plays (eight), baserunning miscues and position players trying to pitch (Orioles designated hitter Chris Davis threw two scoreless innings to get the win while Darnell McDonald gave up the go-ahead runs in the 17th for Boston). In other words, it was a mess, as was the Red Sox homestand.

But first, Buchholz. Initially he was just shaking off the rust from his injury-shortened 2011 season. Then, according to his manager, Buchholz had a blister issue. There were positives in each of his starts, they all said, regardless of the numbers. Give him time. He'll work it out.

Perhaps that is the case and Buchholz still has it in him to be an effective pitcher once again. But the Red Sox cannot endure much more of this before getting to the root of Buchholz's issues. That may require time on the disabled list, whether he is hurt or not, or a move to the bullpen. Almost any alternative will do, for Buchholz is up in John Lackey territory. Actually, it's worse -- Lackey's ERA after six starts last year was "only" 7.16. Buchholz's has climbed to 9.05 after he was lit up for five runs in just 3 2/3 innings of Sunday's loss.

The right-hander has surrendered 47 hits (10 of them homers) in only 32 2/3 innings. He has struck out just one more batter (20) than he has walked (19).

Despite all of that, Buchholz was already off the hook by the bottom of the fifth inning, when rookie Will Middlebrooks tied the game with a grand slam. Amazingly, Buchholz has just one loss in six subpar starts.

In keeping with the one-in-six theme, Boston won one of six games on this homestand. They are 1-10 in their Past 11 games at Fenway Park. Hard to believe. Then again, when your starting pitching stinks ...

Back to the bullpen: It was imperative that Buchholz have a lengthy outing Sunday. Between the 13-inning affair on Friday and the abbreviated start by Aaron Cook on Saturday, Red Sox relievers had already thrown 13 1/3 innings in the first two games of the series. That was bumped up to 26 2/3 innings when Buchholz left early and the matinee affair played into the evening.

Seemingly, the highlight of every Red Sox game lately has been the work of the bullpen. With Sunday's effort by Andrew Miller, Matt Albers, Vicente Padilla, Alfredo Aceves, Rich Hill and Scott Atchison, the relief unit has now allowed just six earned runs in the last 53 2/3 innings (1.01 ERA). That does not include the inning by McDonald, but let's be fair here.

Expect another roster move before Boston begins a three-game series in Kansas City on Monday. The crew is severely overworked and Felix Doubront, who has struggled to last deep into games, goes in the opener versus the Royals.

Making his second career pitching appearance, McDonald gave up a tiebreaking three-run homer to Adam Jones in his second career pitching appearance. That was the difference.

Miller time: Let's be honest. Even the Red Sox have almost no idea what to expect from Miller, who was activated from the disabled list Sunday. Not only was he up and down all of last season, but his rehab appearances in Pawtucket produced some of the more awe-inspiring numbers you could imagine, in both good and bad ways.

Miller struck out 23 men in 11 innings for the PawSox. He also walked 14. Obviously there was very little contact made, as evidenced by the paltry total of four hits allowed.

Before the game, Valentine was asked about Miller's control issues and what to expect. He said it depended on many variables -- the skipper even mentioned the wind as one such factor. Apparently the breeze was an agreeable one, for Miller struck out three in 1 1/3 scoreless innings.

Give me a double. Play, that is: The Red Sox turned six double plays, twice their previous season high. Four of the twin killings were turned in consecutive innings from the 12th through the 15th.

The worst good day imaginable: Although this falls under the header "Red Sox Report," Davis' day (night) has to be recognized. The O's DH struck out in each of his first five at-bats before grounding into a double play in the 13th. He grounded out again in the 14th and 17th. He will probably take that any day he can throw two scoreless innings and get the first, and probably only, win of his major league career.

The worst day imaginable: Adrian Gonzalez was 0-for-8 and struck out against Davis in the 17th with two runners on base.

Man in the middle: In the five days since being recalled from Pawtucket, Middlebrooks has batted eighth, enjoyed an off-day, batted second, been scratched because of a tight hamstring and batted eighth again. Nothing uniform about that opening weekend in the big leagues. One thing that has remained constant is his ability to hit the ball.

Middlebrooks hammered a Tommy Hunter offering over the Green Monster in the fifth for his grand slam. His first career homer is also his third career extra-base hit. He has four hits overall, so the reputation for slugging has not come without merit.

The 23-year-old is the first Red Sox player with an extra-base hit in each of his first three games.

The second coming? Middlebrooks' homer came exactly 97 years after Babe Ruth hit his first. Just sayin'.

He also got a few other firsts out of the way, including his first error and his first rookie mistake when he failed to run hard out of the box on a ball that fell into the left-field corner. He got only a single out of what should have been a double, and that came with two outs in the 11th, a time when you might want a runner in scoring position.

In other news: Kevin Youkilis, who just might get Wally Pipp-ed by Middlebrooks, has begun a "walking program" in his effort to come back from a lower back strain. As one astute member of the media corps was quick to point out, he is the "Greek God of Walking Programs." Or something like that.

It may be a stretch to expect Youkilis back when he is eligible to come off the disabled list early next week. When asked about that, Valentine said only, "It's tough to put a clock on an injury. When Youk's ready, he'll definitely let us know."

Salt in the wound: It hasn't been a very smooth season behind the plate for Jarrod Saltalamacchia, especially of late. He misplayed a foul pop during the loss on Saturday and did the same in this one. Only the second act was ruled an error, and it immediately hurt. Given a second chance, Adam Jones singled. He then went from first to third on a stolen base and throwing error by Saltalamacchia and eventually scored.

Add in the passed ball Saturday that led to Aaron Cook getting spiked and you have a pretty poor couple of days behind the plate for Saltalamacchia.

Wrong field: It was not until the top of the 10th that either right fielder had a putout. Ryan Sweeney caught the elusive fly off the bat of Adam Jones. Baltimore's right fielder, Nick Markakis, did not catch one until the 13th inning.

BOSTON -- Red Sox right-hander Clay Buchholz pitched through a blister problem Monday night at Fenway Park, manager Bobby Valentine said Tuesday.

Valentine called the condition a chronic one that occurs when Buchholz is getting good snap on his curveball. Therefore it pops up when the right-hander is throwing well, which Valentine insisted he is, despite his less-than-stellar numbers.

After allowing six runs in 6 2/3 innings against Oakland, Buchholz’s ERA sat at 8.69 through five starts. He has struck out 16 and walked 15 in 29 innings.

“I know everyone wants to look at the numbers and the numbers really aren’t pretty except for the 3-1 [record], and a lot of innings haven’t been pretty, but the idea that he can improve is absolutely paramount in all of our minds,” Valentine said. “He just left my office where we talked about that. There’s no doubt that he has plenty of room for improvement.”

News of the blister led to speculation that the condition could give the team an opening to place Buchholz on the disabled list and allow him to work back into form on the sidelines while creating a spot in the rotation for Aaron Cook, who has an opt-out clause in his contract if he's not on the major-league roster by today.

Valentine said the blister was not an issue Monday night and that Buchholz simply needs to get back to being the pitcher he has been in the past.

“I’m not sure that he’s totally comfortable with all of his pitches yet,” Valentine said. “I think he’s had games where he really liked his two-seamer, really liked his curveball, really liked his changeup at different times, but they haven’t been in total the entire time. Last night he did pitch through a blister situation most of the night, which might have contributed a little bit to his command. He does it often.”

Valentine added that Buchholz “doctors” the blister and pitches through it. Buchholz is scheduled to start against Baltimore on Sunday at Fenway.

BOSTON -- The general consensus was that if the Red Sox bring up Aaron Cook on Tuesday before he has a chance to opt out of his deal and place him into the bullpen, it would cement Daniel Bard’s hold on a rotation spot. Cook would provide relief, Bard would remain a starter and the sun would rise the next day.

There was a wild card. What if Clay Buchholz continued to struggle to the point where he, not Bard, was the one who needed to be moved somewhere, likely down the road to Pawtucket to get straightened out. After all, Bard to the bullpen was more of a fix for the once-struggling relief corps. He has performed just fine as a starter.

On the other hand, Buchholz still may have something to prove. As inconceivable as it would have sounded before the season, a Cook-for-Buchholz maneuver has been discussed in and around Fenway Park.

When you lower your ERA from 8.87 to 8.69, as Buchholz did in Monday’s 11-6 win over the Oakland Athletics, it would seem as if your soft grip on a starting role remained just that. Then again, Buchholz and those who are tasked with helping him return to form felt that this was a step in the right direction.

“I felt like it was my most positive outing aside from the line,” said Buchholz, who gave up six runs on seven hits with five walks and five strikeouts in 6 2/3 innings against a team that entered the night ranked dead last in the American League in most significant offensive categories.

Buchholz allowed just one run on four hits through the first six innings. He had thrown only 72 pitches to that point. But two singles, two walks and a three-run homer by ex-teammate Josh Reddick led to a five-run seventh. When manager Bobby Valentine emerged from the dugout following the Reddick blast, Buchholz kicked at the mound and shouted in disgust, clearly peeved over the way his night ended.

The man who brought the hook thought the reaction was appropriate, not because Buchholz had a bad start but because he was so close to having a special one.

“He was probably frustrated that he had a complete game or something in his sights and he let it get away,” Valentine said.

Therein lies the danger in assessing Buchholz’s latest outing. The line is not pretty. The overall numbers are very poor, aside from the team-leading three wins. However, six of Monday night's innings were extremely efficient, to the point where Buchholz could legitimately think of a complete game, or at least something close to it. And Buchholz’s final pitch of the night, a curve headed for the dirt that Reddick golfed into the Oakland bullpen, was one he would throw over and over again.

“I went down to block the pitch. Good pitch,” catcher Kelly Shoppach said. “Guy just made a better swing.”

Still, Buchholz has allowed at least five earned runs in each of his five starts, the first Red Sox pitcher to do that at any point in a season since 1940. He has just one more strikeout (16) than he does walks. The home run by Reddick is the seventh Buchholz has allowed in 29 innings.

So where is he? Is Buchholz a scuffling pitcher who could prove to be a detriment to the rotation until he figures some things out? Or is he still the guy who was a legit Cy Young Award candidate through much of the 2010 season and simply needs a little more time?

Buchholz thinks it is the latter, for one specific reason. He said that his changeup, an absolute weapon in that outstanding ’10 season but a mystery early in 2012, is beginning to reemerge. Credit time in the tape room for that development.

“I looked at a lot of video from 2010 because that’s when the changeup was at its best,” he said. “Saw a lot of things in that video. Today was the best changeup I’ve thrown all year. I wasn’t second-guessing anything.”

Chances are that Buchholz showed enough Monday to prevent any second-guessing on the part of the organization. They have a lot invested in the lanky right-hander and one bad month doesn’t undo the past.

At some point Buchholz will have to put it all together. There may be another option waiting in the wings.

What’s more troublesome for Clay Buchholz: his strikeout deficiency or the inability to keep the ball in the park?

Perhaps the two are related. Buchholz has allowed more home runs on his fastball (five) than he has swings and misses (two) with it.

Let’s dive into the numbers, as Buchholz prepares to face the Minnesota Twins on Wednesday.

* The home run problem: Buchholz has already allowed six home runs in 2012, just three shy of the total he gave up during his breakout 2010 campaign. Similarly, his 17 earned runs are two more than he allowed in his final 12 starts of that season.

Now, it’s unfair to compare the two seasons. For one, Buchholz had an abnormally low home run rate in 2010. He’s also coming off an injury that caused him to miss the final three-and-a-half months of 2011. So it’s understandable that he’d be a bit rusty.

But for a pitcher whose success was so closely tied to keeping the ball in the park, it’s noteworthy that Buchholz hasn’t been.

Five of the six home runs he’s allowed have been on the fastball. That matches the total he allowed on fastballs in each of the previous two seasons.

* The strikeout problem: Buchholz’s fastball is averaging 91.6 miles per hour, down from 93.9 mph in 2010.

The result? Buchholz is throwing his fastball less (a career-low 49 percent). The ones he does throw are being feasted upon. Opponents are swinging at 57 percent of them, up from 43 percent a year ago.

In addition to the low velocity, his fastball location has been off. Only 22 percent have been thrown low. Compare that to 33 percent in each of the previous two seasons.

The velocity figures to climb as he regains arm strength. But right now, Buchholz isn’t making anyone miss with the heater. Of his 79 fastballs swung upon, only two have been swings and misses thus far.

That leads to his strikeouts deficiency. His 4.8 strikeouts per nine innings is the ninth lowest among AL pitchers with three or more starts. Of his nine strikeouts, only two have come on the fastball.

Perhaps because he’s yet to regain the velocity on his heater, Buchholz keeps going back to the curveball with two strikes. That’s led to five strikeouts on the curve already. Back in 2010, he had just nine all season.

PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. -- Takeaways from the Port, where the Red Sox beat the Tampa Bay Rays, 8-4:

Mike Aviles’s ability to make the throw from the hole at short is one of those questions that will hover over him, and every time he makes a bad throw, as he did Sunday, alarms will go off. What made it look even worse is that the baserunner was Jose Molina, who would be the chalk in a lot of World’s Slowest Man races. Aviles had time to set his feet and still bounced his throw past first baseman Mauro Gomez.

The good news is that Aviles had a chance to make the same play against a faster runner, Jeff Keppinger, and made a strong throw.
Assuming he stays healthy, Aviles will be the Opening Day shortstop, and probably will remain there until he proves he cannot handle the job. The Sox are committed to giving Jose Iglesias more time in the minors and believe Aviles deserves the chance to play. His bat, the hope is, will neutralize whatever plays he cannot make afield. Iglesias’s time will come. Just not now.

Bobby Valentine said that he has no plans to carry a third catcher, which puts Ryan Lavarnway in Pawtucket to open the season, though the manager had plenty of good things to say about the progress the Yale grad has made.

Pedro Ciriaco had another hit in two at-bats Sunday, his average sitting at .545 (12-for-21), but the 26-year-old who played a handful of games for the Pittsburgh Pirates the last two seasons will not be this year’s Arquimedez Pozo or Rudy Pemberton and crack the Opening Day roster. “I don’t have a spot for him right now,’’ Valentine said.

But the native of the Dominican Republic, who signed as a minor-league free agent, “is a good player,’’ Valentine insisted. “I know you thought I was kidding early when I said that. I really like him.”

The manager contended Ciriaco is a cut above the usual spring-training wonders.

“His hands are there, his arm is there, and the speed is there," Valentine said.

What you often don’t see in spring training, but are revealed over time, are the holes that keep a guy from winning a big-league job. The breaking ball often is the great equalizer.

With Carl Crawford almost certain to open the season on the disabled list, the Sox will carry a player that otherwise was not expected to make the 25-man roster. A strong candidate: Jason Repko, a backup outfielder with the Minnesota Twins and Los Angeles Dodgers over the past six seasons. Repko’s career has been sidetracked by injuries -- a severely sprained ankle suffered crashing into a wall cost him 67 games in 2006 and a torn hamstring that required surgery to reattach the tendon caused him to sit out the entire 2007 season.

With Ryan Sweeney having missed the last week with a strained quadriceps muscle, an extra outfielder makes eminent sense. The Sox will have to create a spot on the 40-man roster to keep Repko.

“[Repko] can do a lot of things during a baseball game,’’ Valentine said. “Yesterday he executed a perfect relay throw that cut down a runner at the plate. He can bunt and run, and he’s a very good outfielder. It's good to know we have him if we need him."

The Sox are expected to carry 12 pitchers to open the season. With Opening Day April 5, eight spots are likely sewn up: Josh Beckett, Jon Lester, Clay Buchholz, Daniel Bard, Andrew Bailey, Alfredo Aceves, Mark Melancon, Matt Albers. Franklin Morales, assuming he is healthy, will be one of the left-handers in the 'pen. Felix Doubront, Andrew Miller and Michael Bowden are out of options, so they all have an edge. That would be 12.

The Sox very much want to keep Vicente Padilla, Aaron Cook, Ross Ohlendorf and Brandon Duckworth as inventory, understanding that teams on average need nine to 10 starting pitchers during the season and more than 20 pitchers in all. Both Padilla and Cook have opt-outs in their contracts. The Sox like Cook’s sinker, and Padilla has gotten plenty of positive notices from both inside the organization and outside observers.

Assuming Valentine carries 12 pitchers -- and he could elect to keep a 13th -- the position players on the Opening Day roster look like this:

Catchers (2): Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Kelly Shoppach

Infielders (6): Adrian Gonzalez, David Ortiz, Dustin Pedroia, Mike Aviles, Kevin Youkilis, Nick Punto.

Outfielders (5): Cody Ross, Ryan Sweeney, Jacoby Ellsbury, Darnell McDonald, Jason Repko.

Disabled list: Carl Crawford, John Lackey, Daisuke Matsuzaka, Bobby Jenks, Rich Hill, Ryan Kalish.

Buchholz threw only a handful of changeups Sunday but he worked on everything else, especially his curveball, and looked very sharp doing so. Buchholz threw 63 pitches, 49 for strikes, and was elated at how many first-strike pitches he threw: 14 out of 20 batters. He estimates he also threw 15 cutters.

He threw back-to-back changeups to Evan Longoria in the first inning, and Longoria hit the second one for a home run, the only run allowed by Buchholz in five innings. He struck out four and did not walk a batter.

Padilla pitched three innings Sunday, and according to one scout, looked at times “like he was messing around.’’ He broke out his eephus pitch early and often, throwing one to Longoria on a 2-and-0 strike for a ball, throwing back-to-backers to Jose Lobaton, who singled on the second one, and starting Carlos Pena with a 53 m.p.h. eephus, following that with a 73 m.p.h. curveball, then busting a 91 m.p.h. fastball for a called third strike.

“You don’t see that too often,’’ said Valentine, who said he was eager to see how Padilla bounces back Monday in his long-toss session. So far, though, Padilla has been healthy and on Sunday located his fastball and threw a number of good cutters.

“If he’s not throwing in the outfield tomorrow, I’d have some concern,’’ Valentine said. “The last time he threw three innings and then threw in the outfield.”

Cody Ross hit his second home run in two days, this one coming off a fastball from Rays phenom Matt Moore in a showdown between natives of New Mexico. Ross is a native of Portales, Moore from Edgewood.

“A fellow New Mexican -- I like him,’’ Ross said.

Ross is hitting .455 this spring and said he has no compunctions about where he plays in the outfield.

“No, I’m not really worried,’’ he said. “They haven’t come to me and told me to play here or there. They know I’m capable of playing left or right or even center. I’ve had looks all over. I feel comfortable at all three.

“I’m fine going back and forth. Even if Jacoby needs a day, which he rarely does, I can fill in there. I’m fine. I’ve done it my whole career. It’s not a big deal.’’

Doubront is scheduled to pitch against the Twins on Monday, a start fraught with significance in his bid to win the No. 5 spot in the rotation, while Aceves starts a minor-league game in camp. Aceves has pitched exceptionally well this spring, showing velocity that has hit as high as 95 m.p.h.

The Red Sox optioned pitcher Stolmy Pimentel to Double-A Portland.

FORT MYERS, Fla. -- Sunday is the first official reporting date for Red Sox pitchers and catchers, but already the bullpens have been busy the last week.

STARTERS GETTING AFTER IT: Clay Buchholz, who missed the majority of the 2011 season with a stress fracture in his lower back, has already thrown 10 bullpen sessions this spring. He began his offseason throwing program a lot sooner than normal because he wanted to be strong in camp and not suffer any setbacks. The right-hander looked sharp during his 45-pitch session on Saturday. He was working with catcher Kelly Shoppach. Buchholz said afterward that he felt strong.

Reliever-turned-starter Daniel Bard threw 55 pitches during his session and admitted afterward he was a bit tired but still felt good. Bard worked with catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia.

Left-hander Jon Lester tossed a similar amount of pitches as Buchholz and Bard. Lester was popping the mitt as he worked with catcher Ryan Lavarnway.

Red Sox pitching coach Bob McClure and manager Bobby Valentine were keeping close tabs on all the pitchers. After the session, all the pitchers ran sprints.

BAILEY READY TO GO: Red Sox closer Andrew Bailey also tossed a brief bullpen session and deemed himself healthy and strong afterward. It was his first throwing session in camp.

“I’m excited to here,” Bailey said. “Obviously this is an organization that has a proven history of winning and contending every year. It’s nice to be around the guys and get to know them early and I’m looking forward to a good year.”

CATCHERS PUTTING IN THE TIME: It was a busy day for Red Sox catchers. After catching numerous bullpen sessions, the group, led by Saltalamacchia, Shoppach and Lavarnway, hit on one of the back fields and then ran sprints for 15 minutes.

Red Sox starter Clay Buchholz hasn't pitched since June, but he hasn't escaped criticism in the aftermath of Boston's epic September collapse. Buchholz was implicated in the starting-pitchers-drinking-during-games controversy, and he took a page from Jon Lester's spin-control playbook, appearing on Boston sports radio WEEI on Thursday to set the record straight on exactly who drank what (when and where).

"Yeah, it did (happen)," Buchholz said on WEEI of the infamous beer-drinking, chicken-eating clubhouse shenanigans that included fellow starters Josh Beckett and John Lackey in addition to Lester. "It wasn't to the extent that it's being told right now. The whole chicken thing, it wasn't like the guys were sitting in there saying 'We're going to order chicken today.' It was, we'd come upstairs, there would be chicken on the table and it happened maybe three times this season. The whole beer thing, it was more of a rally-beer thing. And yeah, it might not have been right, but I feel like there have been other teams in baseball that have gone through stuff like that. Not to say it wasn't a big deal, because it was a mistake, grown men shouldn't be making those decisions like that during a baseball game, but like I said before, you've got to live with what you've done and learn from it. I'm sure it's not going to happen again because it's a lot bigger right now than everybody ever thought it would be."

Buchholz also took the company line in denying the allegations that pitchers drank beer in the dugout during games.

"No, never. Never," he said on WEEl.

This follows the chorus of denials issued en masse by the Red Sox Wednesday, including a statement from former manager Terry Francona, who said he never saw beer in the dugout in his 32-year career.

Buchholz allowed that he'd made a "bad decision," but took issue with the notion that it was responsible for the team's meltdown.

“It might not have been right, but it’s not like there aren’t other teams in baseball that have gone through stuff like that,” Buchholz said of the clubhouse drinking. “Not to say it’s not a big deal because we’re grown men. We probably shouldn’t be making decisions like that. To be getting paid this money and be sitting in the clubhouse, yeah, I understand. It was maybe a bad decision on our part, but you’ve got to live with what you’ve done and learn from it.”

Depending on who you ask, booze in the clubhouse is either no big deal ... or a crying shame.

"The ridiculous part is having beers in the clubhouse, rally beers and all of it, it's a joke. It's wrong," Hall of Famer and former Red Sox pitcher Dennis Eckersley said Thursday on The Scott Van Pelt show .

It seems that major league teams are split on the issue as well. The Boston Globe reported Thursday that only 12 teams provide alcohol to their players, and three of those have strict limits and/or closely monitor consumption.

The Globe reported that the Red Sox have provided access to beer since before the current ownership group headed by John Henry took over in 2002, according to CEO Larry Lucchino.

In the video below, Chicago White Sox catcher A.J. Pierzynski says drinking in the clubhouse is common.

Red Sox assistant GM Ben Cherington, who's expected to replace outgoing GM Theo Epstein, said he wouldn't make any decisions about banning alcohol without first consulting the new manager, The Globe reported Thursday.

"As with any clubhouse policy, we wouldn’t make any determination without talking to the manager,’’ Cherington said. “Since the manager is not in place, it’s too early to say."

BOSTON -- Red Sox pitcher Clay Buchholz (back) took another positive step in his rehab, making it possible he could return to action in the final days of the regular season and perhaps the playoffs if Boston hangs on and earns a postseason berth.

Buchholz tossed a simulated game with hitters in the cage Tuesday afternoon at Fenway Park and it went well. He’s scheduled to throw another simulated game either Thursday or Friday. If he continues to progress, it’s possible he could pitch in some capacity the final series of the season in Baltimore early next week.

“I don’t know if I’ll be able to build up to throw five innings, but that’s the team’s call,” Buchholz said. “If they want me to come back and get some innings, we’ve got to see how this postseason run is going to be and go from there.”

Red Sox manager Terry Francona, GM Theo Epstein and head trainer Mike Reinold all watched the session.

“He actually looked pretty good,” Francona said. “We now obviously wait to see how he bounces back and see where and when to go with the next step.”

Buchholz threw 25 pitches during his warmup in the bullpen and followed that with a 32-pitch simulated game.

“Everything went well,” Buchholz said. “Location wasn’t what it should be, which is expected, but the ball is coming out of my hand and there’s no problem with the back.”

Buchholz looked good throughout his delivery. During the simulated game, fellow pitcher Josh Beckett and second baseman Dustin Pedroia also were looking on.

The Red Sox are clinging to a two-game lead in the AL wild-card race entering Tuesday's games and could use some pitching help.

“Nobody wants to sit out for three months. It’s been tough sitting back and watching the guys go out there,” Buchholz said. “Even when we’re playing good I want to be out there. It’s tough right now, but I’m trying to get to that point where I can come back and help this team win.”

BOSTON -- Red Sox manager Terry Francona said that pitcher Erik Bedard (knee and lat) could throw a bullpen session Tuesday at Fenway Park, and he may be ready to pitch on Monday.

“If he throws today, we’re going to have to see where it goes because we don’t know,” Francona said. “We know we have a doubleheader coming up next Monday and we need to fill two spots. He may be a candidate or he may not. We’ll see.”

Also, fellow pitcher Clay Buchholz (back) played catch again on Tuesday and could be in line to throw a side session off a mound later this week.

“That will be determined after we see how he bounces back tomorrow,” Francona said. “When he gets to this effort level we want to see how he bounces back, but he’s getting himself toward a bullpen for sure.”

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Josh Beckett will throw off a mound Monday in Fenway Park, Red Sox manager Terry Francona said, one week after the Red Sox right-hander sprained his right ankle in Toronto.

If all goes well, there's a possibility that Beckett will be able to return to the rotation by Thursday at the earliest, although Francona suggested the weekend was a more likely scenario.

Beckett, who has been throwing while wearing a brace, had said he experienced little discomfort on Saturday, when he threw on flat ground and was hopeful of continuing his progression. Monday's side session, assuming the ankle doesn't flare up afterward, should be the last step to returning to the rotation.

The Red Sox are currently in a stretch in which their starters have failed to go more than five innings in eight of their last 10 games. That includes the outing by Beckett last Monday, when he was forced to leave in the fourth after experiencing pain.

Meanwhile, Clay Buchholz (back) had another good throwing session from flat ground on Sunday, throwing from 120 feet. Francona said the plan is for Buchholz to repeat that routine on Tuesday.

Third baseman Kevin Youkilis (hip, sports hernia) is expected to rejoin the club Tuesday, but Francona said it was unknown whether he'll be able to play.

Clay Buchholz continues to make progress in his rehab for a stress fracture in his lower back and Terry Francona reiterated Tuesday that the team hasn't written him off for 2011.

On the Red Sox radio pregame show, Francona said Buchholz played catch with pitching coach Curt Young on Tuesday, making 50 throws from 90 feet. Francona said Buchholz would probably play catch again on Wednesday, with the hope being to get Buchholz to throwing at 120 feet without any setbacks.

Once Buchholz gets to 120 feet without feeling pain, Francona said, the team can begin talking about getting him on a pitcher's mound again.

Buchholz has been on the disabled list since June 19 (retroactive to June 17). Because of the timing of a possible return, Buchholz could be used out of the bullpen as he may not be stretched out enough to start.