Red Sox pitcher Clay Buchholz denies cheating accusations

Boston Red Sox pitcher Clay Buchholz is one of the hottest players in baseball, leading the majors with a 6-0 record, but a Toronto Blue Jays radio color commentator believes he knows the young right-hander’s secret: He’s cheating.

“I just saw video of Buchholz loading the ball with some Eddie Harris worthy slick’em painted up his left forearm,” former major league pitcher Dirk Hayhurst, who works for 590 CJCL-AM, claimed on Twitter. “Wow.”

Buchholz, who gave up two hits in seven innings with eight strikeouts Wednesday during Boston’s 10-1 victory over Toronto, shook off the claims, explaining that he puts rosin on his arm and wets his fingers for improved grip.

“I’m not doing anything wrong, so if I have to answer questions about it, that’s the world we live in,” Buchholz said, according to MLB.com.

Red Sox Manager John Farrell vehemently denied the accusations of Hayhurst, who had a 5.72 earned-run average over two major league seasons in 2008-09.

“It bothers me immensely,” Farrell said. “When someone is going to make an accusation, and in this case, on cheating because of something they have seen on TV -- he has rosin on his arm.”

Buchholz, whose 1.01 earned-run average is the best in the American League, was named the AL pitcher of the month for April.

“The fact is the guy is 6-0, he has pitched his tail off and people are going to point to him cheating?” Farrell said. “Unfounded.”

ALSO:

Chivas USA goalkeeper Dan Kennedy signs contract extension