Clay Buchholz struggles in Triple-A start

Maybe it wasn’t intentional, but Pawtucket Red Sox pitcher Clay Buchholz threw catcher Dusty Brown under the proverbial bus.

Buchholz lasted only three innings Monday night as the Buffalo Bisons smacked the PawSox, 10-3, at sweltering McCoy Stadium.

The fact Buchholz allowed two runs on six hits (at least three of which were of the flare or broken-bat variety) and two walks was one thing.

The fact he threw 73 pitches (49 for strikes) in - again - only three innings was another.

“I think the big thing was the pace of the game,” said Buchholz. “I didn’t really get with ‘Brownie’ in telling him exactly what I wanted to do. As a catcher he’s saying ‘We’re going to get these guys out here.’ I went to the curveball, changeup or whatever. In most cases I didn’t know what to throw them. I wanted to throw fastball and locate it.

“I didn’t really talk about that before or during the game. The pace of the game, not only for me but everybody else was slow. I know why I’m here and what the big club wants me to be doing while I’m down here. That’s to execute fastballs and throw them for strikes.”

Boston Red Sox pitching coach John Farrell was an “interested” observer and chatted with Buchholz after he was removed.

“He told me that when you’re ready you’re going to tell us you’re ready to come up,” said Buchholz. “I take that to heart. I told him it’s not going to be too much longer. I told him I feel comfortable but once as a pitcher-catcher combo we get on the same page … I think even tonight I thought the game would have went a lot more smoothly if that had been the case.

“Having to shake off (Brown) and step off and get back on the rubber and do it all over again slowed the pace. But it’s still a learning phase right now.”

EXTRA BASES: Outfielder Bobby Kielty was placed on the seven-day disabled list with a strained right oblique muscle … Kielty was placed on the D.L. on April 20 with a bone spur in his left hand that required surgery to remove … He rejoined Pawtucket on May 30 … Jeff Bailey was a late scratch due to a bruised hip …. Bailey ranks third in the International League in both home runs (18) and RBI (47) … In four starts with Pawtucket, Buchholz is 0-1 with a 3.34 ERA in 16 innings … He’s walked 10 and struck out 14. Chris Carter belted another monster home run, a three-run shot in the sixth off Jeff Harris which cleared the concession stand behind the right-field fence … Carter has a home run in each of his last three games … Brown racked up the “Golden Sombrero (i.e. he struck out four times — all swinging) … Jed Lowrie’s sixth-inning singled extended his hitting streak to 11 games.