Kelley's New England Patriots fan blog

It was about 1 year ago when young pitcher Clay Buchholz threw a no-hitter against the Baltimore Orioles in only his 2nd major league start. 1 year later, Buchholz has struggled and is currently 2-9 with a 6.75 ERA; losing 7 straight decisions. After a 11-6 loss to the O's, manager Terry Francona announced that Buchholz was demoted to Double A Portland.

Let's get something straight, this guy has great potential and I truly believe that. Could it be a sophomore slump? I'm not really sure. Clearly, Buchholz has pitched without any confidence and needs locate his fastball. I think Buchholz being demoted can do some good for him, give him a fresh start and work his way back up to being a strong dominant pitcher. He pitched a no-hitter, and I think that says a lot. He has the potential to be a dominant pitcher down the line.

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As Red Sox nation already knows, shortstop Julio Lugo went down on the 15 day disabled list with a strained left quadricep. In 82 games, Lugo has struggled offensively and defensively; commiting 16 errors with 1 homerun and only 22 RBIs. However, an injury to Lugo gave rookie Jed Lowrie a chance to prove himself and he has done just that.

No one in Red Sox nation really knew who Lowrie was, but as of late, #12 has proven himself to the fans and the Sox organization. In 46 games, Lowrie has 1 homerun and 30 RBI's. He's been pretty impressive defensively and offensively, and is incredible with runners in scoring position. Lugo on the other hand, struggled with runners in scoring position and has less RBI's than the rookie.

Is it time for Lugo to go? I'd say yes. Although Lowrie is only a rookie, the guy can produce offense and hit quality pitches. Lugo was a disappointment last year as well as this year. Lowrie is an RBI machine with the bases loaded and has good speed. Lugo is not the guy I want at the plate with runners on, Lowrie is. Sure, Lowrie may strike out here and there, but he's proven that he can come up with a huge base hit.

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