Scott Atchison Steadies Red Sox’ Bullpen Ship In Three-Inning Stint

Scott Atchison packed his bags last week and walked out of JetBlue Park unsure of his status. Over the past two seasons, the pitcher has grown used to shuttling back and forth between Triple-A Pawtucket and the Red Sox roster.

In Monday's 4-2 victory the Blue Jays, the reliever cemented his worth in the bullpen, tossing three scoreless innings to earn the win.

The 36-year-old provided stability to a bullpen that was enduring heat after two subpar outings against Detroit. As he pitched in relief of Felix Doubront, Atchison surrendered only one hit — an infield hit, at that — and fanned three batters to steady Boston's ship.

"Scotty Atchison was almost perfect," Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine said after the game. "That's what we need to see."

Considering Atchison was a fringe player in spring training, his performance against Toronto validates Valentine's decision to keep him along with 12 other pitchers. By blanking the Blue Jays, Atchison now owns a 2.08 ERA.

Have a question for Didier Morais? Send it to him via Twitter at @DidierMorais or send it here. He will pick a few questions to answer every week for his mailbag.