The Chicago White Sox cut the leash of left-handed starting pitcher John Danks, who was originally slated to face off against Boston Red Sox starter Clay Buchholz on Wednesday night, on Tuesday afternoon, with the team unable to stomach the veteran's dismal beginning to the season and willing to digest the $14 million that they owed him in the final year of his contract.
Now, Buchholz, who currently stakes the claim to the highest ERA among American League starting pitchers (6.51), must exemplify to manager John Farrell and the rest of his ballclub that he is capable of garnering a quality start if he wishes to avoid suffering a similar fate to that of Danks.
Buchholz looks to resurrect season against White Sox
The unpredictable Buchholz has started off the final year of his deal (he is owed $13 million) on quite the wrong foot, going 0-3 with the Red Sox failing to record a victory in any of his five outings.
His WHIP of 1.59 is a frightening statistic worthy of putting a scare in any pitching coach across the league, and the Texan has allowed more earned runs (20) than strikeouts (19) on the season.
In his last start, the nine-year veteran struggled mightily to establish any sort of consistency, allowing five earned runs on eight hits and four walks in 6.1 innings troublesome innings of work in a harrowing 5-3 loss against the Atlanta Braves, who many consider to be the most hopeless cause in all of baseball.
In order to ensure his place in the starting rotation as right-hander Joe Kelly and left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez both prepare for returns from the disabled list, Buchholz must offer a solid start on Wednesday night.
Jose Abreu attempts to continue hot streak
Standing in the way of Buchholz's first victory of 2016 is White Sox outfielder Jose Abreu, who pioneered Chicago to a 4-1 victory in the first matchup of the three-game set on Tuesday night with a stellar 2-for-3, three-RBI performance, including an RBI triple off of Red Sox starter Steven Wright in the first inning and a two-RBI, game-clinching double in the eighth inning off of reliever Junichi Tazawa.
Over his last 24 at-bats, Abreu has registered 11 hits and three RBI, smoking opposing pitching after an underwhelming start to the season. However, the Cuba native has gone 0-for-6 against Buchholz in his career, similar to the lack of success that second baseman Brett Lawrie (3-for-28) and outfielder Adam Eaton (0-for-6) have experienced against Buchholz.
The 31-year-old has shut down the White Sox to the melodic tune of a 1.71 ERA over his last three starts at U.S. Cellular Field, however, he must maintain composed and focus on his accuracy if he wishes to hand Chicago their first loss in four games.
Red Sox up against yet another lefty pitcher
Buchholz's walks per nine innings rate has hovered around a crippling 4.23 in 2016, exemplifying his erratic approach thus far. This must be altered in Wednesday's outing, however, as the Red Sox batsmen will be up against yet another left-handed pitcher in Carlos Rodon (1-3, 4.33 ERA).
While Rodon might not be on par with the lights-out mindset of Jose Quintana, who limited Boston to just one run on four hits in eight innings of impressive ball, the Red Sox entered the series batting just .204 against lefties, a figure which decreased following the showing that Quintana exhibited on Tuesday night.