Buchholz battered again as Twins take 3 of 4 from Sox

Minnesota 7, Sox 3
WP: Hernandez (6-1)
LP: Buchholz (2-3)
SV: None
HRs: BOS-Manny (8); MIN-None

SUMMARY:
Despite scoring three in the first inning, two on Manny Ramirez' 498th career home run, and outhitting the Twins for the fourth straight game Minnesota managed to take three of four games from Boston, thanks to a horrendous outing by Clay Buchholz and another clutch hit from Craig Monroe.

SUPERSTAR: Monroe 1-2, R, 2BI, 2B
With the Twins leading but just one slim run (4-3) in the 5th and Boston primed to mount another comeback Monroe sliced a Buchholz offering down the left field line for a two-run double that opened the game up, and Minny never looked back.

THE BIGGEST LOSER: Buchholz 4.1IP, 8H, 7ER, 5BB, 4K
For the second game in a row the rookie got shelled like Chuckles the Clown when he dressed as Peter Peanut, walking the leadoff batter in three of the five innings he started and generally pitching like he wants an express trip back to Pawtucket.

RECAP:
Let me start off by saying I missed the first few innings of this game because I was at my son's last Little League game of the season;, we were eliminated in the final game of the Top Team tournament, 10-1.

And then I got home and watched the rest of this stinker plus the Celts stumble on the road again to even their series with the Cavs.

Guess you could say I hit the 'shitty sports night' trifecta.

But as bad as mine and the Celts night was, neither of our miseries can compare to the pain Clay Buchholz must be feeling right now after he posted his second consecutive lousy start tonight at the Homerdome.

And to think he didn't even allow a home run.

When you combine the numbers from young Clay's last start against the Tigers a week ago with the stats he put up tonight, the results are hideous enough to merit a warning to hide the women and children before reviewing them:

-8 1/3IP, 18 hits, 12 earned runs, 6 walks, 10 Ks

In case you don't have a stats converter handy those figures add up to a 13.01 ERA and a WHIP of 2.89, numbers that are closer to Julian Tavarez than a guy who pitched a no hitter at the end of last season.

And we all know where Julian is now (wait, do we?)

Not to say that Buchholz is bound for a trip back to the minors, but let's face it with the Sox apparently clearing space on the roster for a possible promotion for Bartolo Colon, someone on the starting staff is going to have to pay the price, and it ain't gonna be Beckett, Dice-K or Wake.

That leaves Buchholz and Jon Lester ticketed for a potential "seasoning" trip back to the PawSox with neither of the youngsters pitching very well of late, and since Buchholz has the least amount of major league experience it could very well be the lanky righty who draws the shortest straw

Tonight he was staked to a quick 3-0 lead courtesy of David Ortiz RBI single followed by an opposite field bomb by Manny Ramirez, the slugger's 498th of his career and 8th of the season, but he wasted no time in coughing that lead right up and then some.

Minny got two back in the bottom of the inning on three consecutive singles and another error by JD Drew, his second in a week, and then the Twins took the lead for good in the 4th on a pair of walks, a pair of singles and an RBI groundout by Delmon Young. Only an inning ending double play prevented the damage from being any worse, but as it turned out it was about to get worse anyway.

While ageless Twins starter Livan Hernandez (6IP, 10H, 3ER, 1BB, 1K, 1HR) escaped a number of jams, Buchholz couldn't get out of any of his self-induced tough spots and Minny was able to add to its lead in the bottom of the 5th.

Last night's hero, Craig Monroe, ripped a double down the third base line and into the left field corner, scoring Joe Mauer, who had walked to open the inning, and Michael Cuddyer, and when Young (2-4, 2BI) followed with an RBI single up the middle, Buchholz night was over.

And with the score 7-3 Twins, so was the game.

The next three innings were rather uneventful (or perhaps it was because I was watching the Cs/Cavs on the main screen with this clunker relegated to the PIP window), but Boston did manage to attempt another 9th inning comeback when Alex Cora (2-4) and Dustin Pedroia got on base with one out, providing the Nation with some hope with the big boppers ready to step up and work their magic.

Alas reliever Jessie Crain retired Ortiz and Ramirez (2-4, r, 2BI) on one pitch apiece, and just like that the good vibes from the Sox recent winning stretch were erased in a disappointing weekend series in the moribund Minnesota Metrodome.

There was some good news on the night: the Rays knocked off the Stanks, 7-1, in St. Pete.

Oh but that's also bad news, too, since its the Rays who are nipping at the heels of our Sox, not the hapless Stankees, so we can't even take solace in the fact that the Stanks got spanked anymore.

Making what was already a depressing night in my sports world a lot more unenjoyable.

NOTES:
-Lugo still ill: with the effects of his head knocking still lingering, Lugo again got the night off in favor of Alex Cora, who had a couple of hits and 5 in the series. Anyone sense a similarity to the Pedroia situation of a year ago?

-The Mayor returns: after missing 15 games with a hip injury Sean Casey returned to the lineup and recorded a hit and made a couple of nice plays in the field as well. He spelled Kevin Youkilis, who got a rare day off despite having hit 6 homers in his last 10 games

-Manny 500: with his first inning bomb Manny got to within two homers of the (once) magic 500 milestone. It was just Manny's 2nd homer in the last 20 games.

-Huh?: Boston lost 3 of 4 in the series despite outhitting the Twins 51-39, including 16-8 in extra base hits

RECORD: 24-17
AL EAST: Up 1/2 gm on TB
STREAK: L2
LAST 10: 6-4
UP NEXT: Tue @ BAL 705 Beckett vs. Guthrie