With a four-game series against the Yankees crammed into three days — and the reputation for length between the rivals — the Red Sox skipper needed an extra arm to bolster the bullpen.
In Game 1 of the doubleheader, Justin Germano alleviated concerns. Stepping in for Franklin Morales in the fourth inning, Germano made his Red Sox debut and tossed 5 2/3 scoreless innings.
"Yeah I was just trying to eat as many innings as I can," Germano said. "I'm glad I was able to finish it and save the bullpen. It's tough because you don’t want things to get out of control, you just want to go out make your pitches and keep it as close as you can to kind of keep your team in there."
The effort preserved the bullpen for the nightcap against New York. It was a concern for Valentine, who opted to elevate Clayton Mortensen as the 26th man on the roster for the doubleheader.
After watching Germano handle the Yankees' order with ease, the skipper appreciated the exploits.
"He did exactly what he was doing at Triple-A," Valentine said. "I’m glad that it translated here. They said he used all his pitches, throw strikes, give you a chance to win, and today’s game was very valuable in that he was the second pitcher and the last pitcher."
In the process, he established a new career-high as a reliever. With seven punch outs against the Yankees, Germano became the first Red Sox reliever to fan at least seven batters since Casey Fossum achieved the feat on July 24, 2002.
Nearly a week ago, Germano never pictured this scenario. When his July 1 opt-out deadline approached, the reliever assumed the Red Sox would trade or release him due to the surplus of pitchers.
"I knew it was going to be tough for them to make room for me and I honestly didn't think they were going to," Germano said. "I'm glad they did because it's a great organization to be a part of and I'm glad I was able to come here and show them what I could do."
He's providing the depth the Red Sox needed.
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