Red Sox: Win Mariners Series, Take on Lowly White Sox Next

What Went Wrong?

LHP Roenis Elias was called up from AAA Pawtucket this past week, and was told that the club could only guarantee one start for the 27-year old Cuban, and that is all he would get. The left hander got shelled Friday night, Elias only lasted 4 innings allowed 7 earned runs on 7 hits and 2 absolute shots (HR’s) to Seattle OF Franklin Gutierrez that must have shattered a flock of car windows on the Mass Pike. Elias demoted back to AAA Pawtucket after Friday nights game.

Elias was supposed to be a key part of the back-end of the Red Sox rotation coming into the 2016 season, but a rough spring demoted him back to the minors. He was a part of the Seattle Mariners rotation for the past two seasons, and critics thought he was going to come out guns blazing against his former ball club Friday night to reclaim his job back into the majors.

That whole idea went south, Elias pitched so bad (15.88 in just 5.2 innings with Boston) that Red Sox Manager John Farrell went into panic mode by the end of Friday night’s game. The skip took veteran RHP Clay Buchholz out of the bullpen since being placed their May 29th after inconsistent starts and named him the No. 5 starter for Wednesday nights game against the Chicago White Sox.

John Farrell made it clear before Sunday’s game that Buchholz’s “aggressive nature” and ability to “simplify” his approach Friday are what he expects the righty to carry over into the start.

“Well historically as far as my pitching goes the reason I made it to the big leagues is because I had a good change-up and I used it in different situations, different counts,” Buchholz explained after his bullpen before Sunday’s game. “[Friday night] was the first time I’ve really had that , where I was confident enough to throw it behind the count, ahead in the count, for strike one. And it’s a big pitch for me. That’s what I’ve tried to keep hold of and sort of remember what I was doing the other night to have that pitch available to me whenever I need it.

“It’s fun going out there whenever you can throw a pitch that you know is a swing-and-miss pitch at times or it’s a contact pitch at times and it can get you out of some big situations and some tight spots. That’s what I’m focused on. Trying to throw strike one and trying to keep guys off balance.” CSNNE . It’s going to be an exciting night come Wednesday, as the 10 year veteran has done great things in a Boston uniform and if Buchholz brings his stuff that we know he is capable of, he could be a big difference for the back of the Red Sox rotation that they really need.