TORONTO — Red Sox right-hander Clay Buchholz denied former major league pitcher and current Toronto broadcaster Dirk Hayhurst's claim that Buchholz used a foreign substance to improve his pitches in Wednesday's 10-1 Boston win.
TORONTO — Usually when you're named pitcher of the month, you don't have to defend yourself the same day.
Red Sox right-hander Clay Buchholz denied a claim made by former major league pitcher and current Toronto radio broadcaster Dirk Hayhurst that Buchholz "slathered" a foreign substance on himself that he used to doctor the ball in Wednesday's 10-1 Boston win over the Blue Jays.
Buchholz was announced as the American League pitcher of the month for April on Thursday afternoon.
"There's a rosin bag behind the mound and it's there for everybody to use every inning after our warm-up," Buchholz said. "Put rosin on my arm throughout the game. Sweat, water, whatever. ... Sometimes I put a little thing of water on my hip just to get moisture on your hands. Cause sometimes the balls that they throw to you feel like cue balls off a pool table. Got to find a way to get grip. But yeah, I mean, definitely no foreign objects or substances on my arm."
Buchholz has been the majors' best starting pitcher. On Wednesday, he went seven innings, allowed two hits, no runs and struck out eight. He's the fourth pitcher since 1900 to win each of his first six starts of a season while striking out at least 47 and allowing five runs or fewer.
A screenshot of Sportsnet's broadcast. It's been a nearly unprecedented run. In every one of Buchholz's starts this season, he's gone at least seven innings and allowed two runs or fewer. Roger Clemens was the last to do that, in 1991 with the Sox.
At least for Wednesday, Hayhurst felt Buchholz had some help.
"Forget the hair, I just saw video of Buchholz loading the ball with some Eddie Harris worthy slick'em painted up his left forearm," Hayhurst wrote on Twitter on Wednesday night. "Wow."
The Blue Jays did not ask for any baseballs to be checked. Buchholz said he's never been accused of doctoring a ball before.
Shortly before Thursday night's game, after the story spread, Hayhurst wrote: "Could be rosin, could be something else. Looked awfully fishy, is all."
Buchholz and Wednesday night's catcher, David Ross, both guessed Buchholz would not be questioned if he was pitching poorly.
"That's the way the world works," Buchholz said. "If I had thrown two innings last night it probably would have been an issue. As far as the undershirts and the discoloration, I've been wearing the same shirts for the last three years. So go figure what's all over these shirts, I don't even know. Throw em in the wash every night after I take em off and that's it
"I'm throwing stuff in my hair too, right? No, that's water. You can look at as much video as you want after every inning I go in there and pour a bottle of water on my head."
Ross said Buchholz was "clean as a whistle."
"No," Ross said. "Clay throws out a lot of balls that get scuffed and stuff. He threw out I think three last night on choppers that were hit. They had big scuffs on 'em. If you want a little extra movement, I don't think that's what — people always look for, somebody has success, they want to blame something."
Buchholz said he wasn't mad at the accusation, but manager John Farrell was agitated.
"It does. It bothers me immensely," Farrell said. "When someone is going to make an accusation -- and in this case, of cheating -- because they've seen something on TV. He's got rosin on his arm. Rosin was designed to get a grip. He's got it on his arm. I've seen some people that have brought photographs to me. They're false. The fact is that the guy is 6-0. He's pitched his tail off. People are going to point to cheating? Unfounded."
The last two times the Red Sox have won a pitcher of the month award, it's gone to Buchholz. He received the honor in August 2010. No Red Sox pitcher has won the award in April since Derek Lowe in 2002.
Hayhurst wrote a column on how to doctor a ball last year for Yahoo.
Forget the hair, I just saw video of Buchholz loading the ball with some Eddie Harris worthy slick'em painted up his left forearm. Wow.
— Dirk Hayhurst (@TheGarfoose) May 2, 2013
@liamogi This was substantial. You could see it slathered on there.
— Dirk Hayhurst (@TheGarfoose) May 2, 2013
Could be rosin, could be something else. Looked awfully fishy, is all. twitter.com/TheGarfoose/st…
— Dirk Hayhurst (@TheGarfoose) May 2, 2013
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