Earlier in the season I brushed upon a supposed  Clay Buchholz even year curse, but has it gotten to a point where any type of turnaround is improbable? Will he be designated for assignment? Could last night have been the last time we see Clay Buchholz pitch at Fenway Park?

After going 4.1 innings, he gave up 7 hits, 6 runs, 3 earned, and 2 home runs. Of course, Red Sox fans are frustrated with the team after a crushing 21-2 defeat against a 33-48 Angels, but to be at wits’ end with Clay Buchholz is completely justifiable. Whether it was as a starter or reliever, he has found little to no success this season in either role.

Last night marked Clay’s 13^th start of the season, and he is now 3-9 on the season with a 5.91 ERA. In 80.2 innings pitched he also has given up 17 home runs, 37 BBs, 9.3 H/9 , 4.1 BB/9 , a WHIP of 1.488, and has an FIP of 6.03, the meager stats go on and on.

And to add insult to injury, most of his struggles come in the first inning, as after last night he stands at a 10.83 ERA in the first. It seems as if every time he is on the mound the Red Sox immediately find themselves in a hole or taken out of the game from the first inning. In 118 innings pitched, the Red Sox have been trailing in 80 of them.

It is completely realistic to wonder if last night was the last time we saw Clay Buchholz walk off the mound at Fenway. Only in 2, out of his 13 starts this year, he has given up less than 4 runs. When does it end? Was last night the last straw?

If so, the image of Clay walking off the mound and straight into the clubhouse without ordinarily sticking around until the end of the inning will be instilled as a lasting memory of a disappointing 31-year-old pitcher, who once had such promise.