PAWTUCKET — While PawSox manager Ron Johnson is always at the center of activity as the team's manager, he makes time to check on another minor leaguer halfway across the country.

Johnson's son, Chris, is a third baseman playing for the Triple-A Round Rock Express in the Houston Astros system. The 24-year-old cracked a home run in a game Friday and is hitting .271 with 5 homers and 17 RBI.

"I text him a lot. That's the way I get a feel for how he's doing. It's fun. It's a lot of fun for me," said Johnson. "I listen to him grieve when he struggles a little bit and when he gets overly excited when he does well. It's fun being involved in it. It's almost like he's playing for me but he's not here."

The younger Johnson was one of the Astros' final cuts out of spring training but he was hit by a pitch and broke a bone in his hand and missed a month. He's since regained his form and is seen as one of the team's top infield prospects. Ron Johnson hears about his son's exploits from all the scouts and coaches that pass through Pawtucket.

"Being in the game a long time I have a lot of relationships so I get a lot of buddies letting me know what he's doing," he said. "Most of them will be cordial but I tell them, ‘Hey, be truthful with me now. I can take it. Tell me what you see because that's the only way you get better.' "

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Pitcher Clay Buchholz was optioned back to Pawtucket by the Red Sox and arrived during Saturday night's game.

Buchholz allowed four hits and three walks in 5 2/3 innings as he earned a win Friday night against the Blue Jays in Toronto. Twelve of the 17 outs he recorded came by strike out or ground ball and Johnson was most happy that 17 of the 24 hitters he faced saw a first-pitch strike.

"We're all real excited. Everybody up there is excited," said Johnson. "The way he went about his business with those first-pitch strikes . . . it was almost exactly what the focus has been this year with him. To go to the big leagues and have success like that out there. You saw it."

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Michael Bowden will make his first start of the second half and first since July 6 on Sunday in the series finale against the Indians. Bowden is wrapping up an extended, mid-season break that the Red Sox organization places on most of its starting pitchers. Bowden, who is 3-4 on the season, is just 1-3 with a 5.95 ERA in his last nine starts but Johnson thinks the break will help him regain top form.

"Bowden is an effort-level guy. Nobody works harder than this guy," said Johnson. "The commitment he makes to his craft is phenomenal. It's good they gave him this opportunity to get a little blow and get ready for the second half."

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Catcher Dusty Brown was a smiling, proud new father in the PawSox clubhouse. Brown's wife, Jordan, gave birth to a son, Jude, on Friday. He made sure everyone was resting comfortably and drove from Boston to McCoy for batting practice Saturday. He'll miss the series finale Sunday but start for the Sox in Rochester on Monday.

kmcnamar@projo.com