Padilla shaky in relief

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FORT MYERS, Fla.Right-hander Vicente Padilla is in the mix for the Red Sox fifth starters job. But he had a tough time in his two innings in the Red Sox 7-4 loss to the Pirates Friday night.

Padilla, followed starter Clay Buchholz, and allowed four runs on five hitsall in his first inning of work.

He had that 0-2 count, the 1-2 count, he wasnt executing two-strike pitches, manager Bobby Valentine said. I think first time that Kelly Shoppach was catching him, and I think there was a little quandary there where to go once he got ahead on a couple of those hitters.

Valentine also thought Padilla was having issues with his arm speed.

I dont know that his, for my money, Im not sure that his arm speed was what it was last couple times, Valentine said. It was pretty good. His location was decent. He was executing early. He just didnt execute late from what I saw. They hit his slow curveball one time and he went to throw the cutter away and it looked like the whole ball was on the plate. 0-2 pitch, 1-2 pitch really hurt him

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