The Boston Red Sox have appointed Clay Buchholtz as their Opening Day starting pitcher, according to Brian MacPherson of the Providence Journal. 

The right-hander will take the ball to face the Philadelphia Phillies on April 6. The number two starter will be Rick Porcello, who was aquired in the offseason from the Detroit Tigers

Buchholz is coming off one of the worst seasons of his entire baseball career. He dominated the spring in his first few starts, but he has fallen off the tracks in his last two starts. 

During 2014, Buchholz went 8-11 with a 5.34 ERA. He pitched in 170.1 innings over 28 games. He struck out 132 hitters and walked 54 in his 2014 outings. Buchholz punched a 1.386 WHIP with a 2.44 strikeout-to-walk ratio. He averaged 7.0 strikeouts per nine innings. 

However, this spring the 30-year-old looked really good until facing the Atlanta Braves twice. On March 17, he gave up four runs over four innings, and on March 27 he gave up six runs and 12 hits over five innings; both poor games were against Atlanta. Overall, Buchholz has a 2-2 record with a 3.60 ERA over four games and 15.0 innings pitched. He is averaging 10.8 strikeouts per nine innings while maintaining a 6.00 strikeout-to-walk ratio. The righty has added a poor 1.600 WHIP to his spring resume. 

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About the author
Evan Petzold
Evan Petzold is a Detroit-based journalist with expertise in covering the Tigers, Pistons, and Red Wings. A member of the Internet Baseball Writers Association of America (IBWAA) and Detroit Sports Broadcasters Association (DBSA), he brings a unique skill set in reporting and broadcasting to the table.