The Red Sox Bullpen is Scary Good

Now that Lopez has been replaced with fireballer Daniel Bard the Red Sox have a rock solid bullpen. When Tito needs to make a change on the mound in the late innings he can go with MDC (.052 ERA), RR (.052 ERA), Oki (3.31 ERA), Bard (0.00 ERA), Saito (4.41 ERA) or Paps (1.20 ERA). The only real weak point is with Hunter Jones (8.00 ERA) in long relief but that can be solved when Masterson moves back to the bullpen.

The bullpen has allowed the team to stay near the top of the division with a slew of injuries and problems from starting pitchers. Think how good this team will be with Dice-K and Youk back, or with Smoltz and Buchholz in the rotation.

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Bullpen in Game 4

After the long game last night the Red Sox bullpen has a few tired arms. Here is the pitch count from the pen yesterday: Delcarmen 25, Oki 17, Masterson 16, Papelbon 31, Lopez 20. The bullpen is not fully loaded for game 4 but most relievers should be able to go again tonight. What we need is a good long outing from Lester, much like he did in game 1. If the Red Sox are tied in the late innings we may see Wake or Byrd make an appearance. Even with the high pitch count last night, look for Papelbon to be back in for a one inning save.

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Something big is going to happen

I can just feel it. Can you feel it? With Aardsma going on the DL, and the rest of the middle relief guys having rollercoaster seasons, I have this feeling that Theo is going to do something big and unexpected. There are only 10 days left before the trade deadline, and let's face it, Hansen, Delcarmen, Okajima, Timlin, and Lopez are not having the seasons they had last year. They've been surprisingly sub-par for most of the season. They've had their good moments, no doubt, but as a whole, they've been disappointing.

Theo is up to something, I just know it.

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Bright Spot in Camp is Sox Pen

While much of the news out of Fort Myers this Spring has focused on the injuries of Schilling and Beckett, the struggling young guns, and the battle for the 5th starter spot, the Sox bullpen has stayed out of the spotlight. But it's the bullpen that seems to be the Sox most dependable asset so far.

Things are looking very good in the Sox pen, especially with the guys slated for the late innings. Hideki Okajima, coming off a great season, is working on a new pitch. He's pitched well lately and seems to be on par to start the season strong.

Manny Delcarmen is looking like he's going to be a breakout star this year. The Bangor Daily News has an in-depth story on him today. He tells the Daily News, "I don’t seem tired, like I have some springs, I feel like I’ve got an extra gear to the ball and right now, I feel great. I could probably throw back-to-back days right now. Everything seems easier right now — the running, the workouts."

Additionally, the recent contract renewal inked with Jonathan Papelbon ensures that the closer will be able to focus on pitching and not contract negotiations.

The pen looks ready to hold on to leads and secure wins. The question remains, who's gonna get us to the 7th?

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