By Johnny Sunchips It's been three months (ninety-four days to be exact) since we last saw him. Half of the MLB Regular Season calendar has come and gone....and as Tom Petty once vocalized in song: "Waiting is the hardest part," and, that, it has been! The return of Clay Buchholz to Boston's starting rotation was highly anticpated, and worth the wait! With his long awaited return to the mound this past Tuesday for the "Boston's," the Sox have gone from a playoff contender to a... dare I say... World Series favorite?
That's the type of transformation that would make Optimus Prime blush (Groans). In a key series for both teams, more so for Tampa, the native Texan stymied the Rays (5IP/3H/0R/1BB/6K). He threw 74 pitches, 44 for strikes. He opened with a 1-2-3 first inning while giving up 2 hits in the Rays second at bat. His five pitch arsenal seemed to galvanize as his early season form started to resurface ("Mr. Prime's" 12 to 6 curveball may be the best I've seen since future Hall of Famer Pedro Martinez'). After that it was easy pickin's! Red Sox Manager John Farrell said after "It's really good to see Clay back on the mound for us." He continued, "A healthy Clay Buchholz is going to be a great addition. He showed it tonight... I think it gave everybody a boost of confidence." A boost of confidence to a team that is currently brimming with it. Boston will win the AL East, and will take part in the post season, which was not even a wild dream at this time last season. And with the return of Boston's own "Optimus Prime," the Red Sox may be transformed from cellar dwellars toWorld Series Champions. It's more than a remote possibility. Johnny Sunchips can be heard every Saturday morning on Psycho Sports! Tune in this Saturday at 9 AM |
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