No one could blame the Red Sox if they were on pins and needles Tuesday night in the eighth inning of the All-Star Game.
Boston closer Matt Barnes, who just signed a two-year extension, wandered into a little bit of trouble, and his pitch count started growing higher and higher. It wasn’t anything outrageous — he ultimately threw 25 pitches — but any pitcher in an exhibition game will give a team in the thick of a pennant race anxiety.
Plus, 25 pitches is Barnes’ third-highest count in an outing all season.
Not only that, the Red Sox have a faster turnaround than the majority of teams, as they’ll begin a series with the New York Yankees on Thursday in the Bronx.
Barnes expects to be available.
“Yeah, we’ll be ready. It’s not the first time,” Barnes told reporters, via The Boston Globe.
Indeed, 25 pitches isn’t the end of the world for any reliever. And for someone conditioned like Barnes, a day or two of rest should have him back to 100 percent.
