BOSTON -- Sent to Triple-A Pawtucket on Wednesday, Red Sox reliever Mark Melancon understood the team's decision to get him on the up-and-up away from the big league club, pitching coach Bob McClure said.

Melancon allowed six runs and three home runs in his most recent outing Tuesday in an 18-3 blowout loss to the Rangers at Fenway Park. The problem could be part mental, according to McClure.

"I think at first there's a little bit [of an adjustment]," McClure said. "I think that getting back on the horse, you're wondering. Yeah, it's human. But then, that's why you get them right back in there and see what happens."

McClure said Melancon handled the news well.

"He took it, you know, no one likes getting sent out," McClure said. "But he knows, he said, 'I'm not pitching good. I need to go down there and work this out.' He's all right as far as that goes. He's a mentally strong kid, he's worked his butt off, so I think he's going to be fine."

Melancon's four big league appearances saw him let up a combined 11 runs while recording six outs. After the rough outing Tuesday, Melancon suggested he could be opening up too early in his delivery. McClure echoed that idea, and added that Melancon might not be pitching inside enough.

"It could be as small a thing of pitching inside more," McClure said. "It could be a small thing of perhaps he's opening up a split second too early. And you're talking about staying closed that much longer. So you know, hopefully he goes down there -- because on tape when you look at it, he looks pretty much the same [as last season]. Other than that [last season], he did throw in more."