With the bullpen's ranking somewhat similar this season, it's likely difficult for fans to hold back their distaste, especially after the offseason overhaul designed to improve the club in that area. Boston entered play Monday with a 4.59 ERA from its relievers, 12th in the American League and 25th in all of baseball.
However, unlike 2010, when the options for improvement just weren't there, the 2011 unit has been able to fill in the gaps. The numbers do not truly reflect the value the bullpen has had. Have patience and this unit could match, at least statistically, the preseason predictions that were cast upon it.
There are several reasons to believe.
For one, the two biggest offseason additions, Bobby Jenks and Dan Wheeler, have already spent time on the disabled list. Wheeler has returned and Jenks should soon enough. That's two proven veterans who will not finish the year with ERAs around 10.00. If they do, then the four-letter words might be appropriate.
Second, the guys you rely on to slam the door have been fantastic, and perhaps better than their numbers suggest. Coming off a down year, Jonathan Papelbon has been dominant, his 27 strikeouts and three walks in 19 2/3 innings a testament to a locked-in closer. His eight saves in 19 games mean nothing, the save opportunities just haven't been there.
Daniel Bard's ERA sits at 3.52, but he has had some fluky things contribute to that. His peripheral stats are good enough to suggest that he will get it back down under 2.00, where it sat most of last year.
The next in line without Jenks and Wheeler around has been Matt Albers, whose ERA now sits at 4.15, but we know that almost all of that came in one horrific outing the other night against Chicago. Aside from that, Albers has been fantastic. Manager Terry Francona has called him "a blessing" on multiple occasions.
And then you have what has made this bullpen much better than a 25th-ranked unit. It has provided a remarkable safety net that has spared Francona some sleepless nights wondering how he might piece things together the following night.
The latest example of this came Sunday night, when Tim Wakefield, the bullpen's long man, provided another strong start. He did it one day after Alfredo Aceves, another one of these guys holding the safety net, gave the club all it needed in his first start in a Red Sox uniform. Both hurlers, as well as Scott Atchison, have also provided lengthy relief efforts at times when Francona had very few options and his starter left early.
Continually, as the rotation has been ransacked by injuries and weather-related issues over the past few weeks, the bullpen has either done admirable work in eating up innings or offered up a candidate to take over a start, and done so in fine fashion.
Those inning-eating instances can be deceiving. Both Atchison and Hideki Okajima have ERAs of 4.32 and WHIPs of 1.440, not exactly All-Star statistics. Yet both were lauded for recent efforts that saved a staff being held together by duct tape and a prayer. It's not every day that you see a guy received hugs all around a major league clubhouse after giving up three runs in 3 2/3 innings, but such was the case when Atchison did so on May 5 before returning to Triple-A Pawtucket. It was the day after the 13-inning loss to the Angels that ended at 2:45 a.m., and starter John Lackey, in a position where he needed to give the team innings, could only go four. Everyone knew that having Atchison do what he did in an 11-0 loss could yield some easier nights down the road.
Four days later, in the finale of that 11-game homestand that had sapped the staff, Okajima threw a career-high 43 pitches in an extra-inning victory over Minnesota. He hasn't thrown since and was designated for assignment the other day to make room for Franklin Morales, but his teammates know how clutch that effort was.
After both outings, Francona used a nearly identical quote, saying that Atchison and Okajima gave the team a better chance to win the next day. The fact that Boston has won 10 of 13 while putting multiple pitchers on the DL and enduring multiple shuffles to the rotation says all you need to know about how well the less-heralded hurlers have softened the blow.
Lackey is progressing well in his recovery from an elbow strain. Question marks surround Daisuke Matsuzaka, who may be out months. Josh Beckett left his last start with a neck strain. Jon Lester has scuffled a little bit of late. There was a sense this spring that the Red Sox lacked starting pitching depth. These scenarios, and others, have forced them to test that theory early on.
Due to relievers stepping into starts and doing more than expected, or mopping things up when the original starters didn't do their job, the bullpen has been an incredible resource. Despite what the numbers might tell you.
How has the Red Sox bullpen fared overall? Share your thoughts below.
