September 21, 2012; Boston, MA USA; Boston Red Sox relief pitcher Scott Atchison (48) pitches during the eighth inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports

Until he got injured last year (was there a members of the Red Sox who didn’t get injured last year?), Scott Atchison was one of the best relievers Boston had. The 26-year old righty, one of Boston’s bullpen stalwarts since 2010, signed a minor league deal with the New York Mets today. The Mets also invited Atchison to spring training. If he does what he’s always done, Atchison will likely secure a spot in the Mets’ bullpen.

Since 2010 Atchison was a work horse in Boston. He appeared in 102 games and pitched 141 innings, posting and average ERA of 3.11, striking out (94), nearly three times as many batters as he walked (34) with a WHIP OF 1.16. If he was that dependable then what’s he doing in New York?

Take look a Boston’s 40 man roster.  In the end, Boston’s offseason moves left no place for Atchison. The acquisition of Joel Hanrahan as the closer, which pushed Adnrew Bailey to a set up role and the further acquisition of Koji Uehara left Boston fat with bullpen options. Alfredo Aceves, Daniel Bard, Craig Breslow, Andrew Miller, Franklin Morales, Clayton Mortensen and Junichi Tazawa will make for a crowded house. Something had to give.

In 2010 Atchison appeared in 42 games. Over of 51-1/3 innings, he struck out 36 and walked only nine. He posted a WHIP of 0.994 and a 1.58 ERA. I’m glad he went to the Mets so he’ll be less likely to come back and torture Boston in the AL.

Atchison has appeared in 37 games this season, all in relief while accumulating 46.0 innings of work.  His 1.76 ERA is by far the best of his career as is the 1.000 WHIP. He was a key contributor in what was an effective Red Sox bullpen through most of the season before the injury took the last couple of months away from him.

In a corresponding move to create room on the 40-man roster for Atchison, lefty pitcher Franklin Morales was placed on the 60-day disabled list.  The move all but confirms that Morales will be done for the remainder of the season.

The reliever turned starter, made 9 starts and 28 relief appearances this season with a 3-4 record, 3.77 ERA and a 1.231 WHIP.  He has a SO/9 ratio of 9.0 and a BB/9 of 3.5, both superior than his career averages.  The 26-year old who was acquired from the Colorado Rockies last season has been a pleasant surprise when he joined the rotation and is said to be a front runner for one of the five starting jobs next spring.

We have added quite a few amenities since the organization has been forced to invest so heavily in the Disabled List. Who would have thought that the number of players on the DL would rival the number of actual players on the roster, eh?

Anyway, this area is where everyone hangs out. This room is informally referred to as ‘Carl’s Lair’. He’s not here right now but we expect him back any minute. It’s actually kinda lonely without him. We got so used to seeing him around it just doesn’t feel right without him here. Like you, he had a wrist injury too before the elbow thing cropped up. Oh, and the hamstring thing once he ‘came back’. In any event, the placard on the room can easily be converted to ‘Dice-K’s lounge’ if Carl continues to stay healthy. Ha ha, ho ho…hoo whee, that was a good one wasn’t it Mr. Middlebrooks?

And over here, this where all the action happens when the guys aren’t in treatment or putting together welcome baskets. We’ve got it all here. Video games and unlimited beer and chicken here at “Josh’s Man Cave”.

Beckett  isn’t here for extended periods of time but visits often enough and is so ugly when supplies are low that we decided to simply place a weekly order to keep things on the up and up. Come to think of it, Mr. Beckett is in an ugly mood no matter the circumstance. Oh well.

Feel free to take a seat anywhere except for the reserved seats for Scott Atchison, Andrew Bailey, Rich Hill, John Lackey, Daisuke Matsuzaka, Daniel Nava, David Ortiz, Vicente Padilla or Ryan Sweeney. If I were you, I’d not get a chair next to Sweeney. He’s seemingly so low key and then BAM, he just off and hits something. Mr. Ortiz is also chomping at the bit and has been in a foul mood. Not to worry. He’s a short timer. Also off limits are chairs left open in perpetuity for Mr. Crawford and Mr. Ellsbury.

Settle in Mr. Middlebrooks. Wrist injuries are tricky. It’s going to be a long haul.

Oh, chicken, chicken, you can’t roost too high for me.
Oh, chicken, chicken, come on out of that tree.
Oh, chicken, chicken, chicken, you can’t roost too high for me. 
C is the way it begins.
H, the next letter then, 
I am the third.
C, what a seasonly bird. 
K is to fill him in.
E, I’m near the end.
C-H-I-C-K-E-N,
That’s the way you spell chicken.
- The Chicken, Mississippi John Hurt

Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-US PRESSWIRE

The Red Sox have been involved in plenty of rumors this season as both buyers and sellers. One of the more recent and intriguing of these rumors is that the Red Sox are interested in Rockies’ reliever Rafael Betancourt, according to MLB Trade Rumors. The Red Sox haven’t had a problem with their bullpen since the first few weeks of the season, as they lead baseball with a 2.10 bullpen ERA since April 23. However, adding a bona fide reliever and a potential closer certainly wouldn’t hurt as they enter the stretch run.

The Rockies have struggled mightily this season– limping into the second half with a 34-53 record and tied for last in the NL West. However, Betancourt has been a bright spot all year in the back of their bullpen. After spending the last two and a half seasons with several good seasons in the Rockies’ bullpen, the trade of Huston Street to San Diego opened up the closer role for Betancourt. Since then, he’s done nothing to say he shouldn’t be their closer as he’s gone 1-3 with a 2.84 ERA and 15 saves.

However, it’s difficult to say where he would fit into the Red Sox’ bullpen. Current closer Alfredo Aceves‘ stats don’t look so good at 0-6 with a 4.23 ERA but he’s been fairly solid in saving 20/24 chances. Betancourt could fit in as a setup man in that case, but Scott Atchison (2-1/1.76 ERA), Andrew Miller (2-1/3.05 ERA), Matt Albers (2-0/2.27 ERA), and Mark Melancon (0-0/0.66 ERA since his recall) have all done well there this season. Plus, Andrew Bailey should be returning to the Red Sox in somewhere around a month.

Betancourt is a good pitcher, no doubt. However, that also means that it would probably take a pretty good deal to get him– perhaps something along the lines of Jose Iglesias and Stolmy Pimentel. With the Red Sox’ bullpen performing like they’ve been lately, I don’t think there’s a good reason to spend good prospects to upgrade their bullpen. I’d obviously be happy if the Red Sox could acquire Betancourt at the right price– however, I’d be happier if they didn’t get him and spent those prospects on starting pitching instead.

. Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-US PRESSWIRE

From beginning to end, there wasn’t a whole lot to like about this game if you’re a Red Sox fan. They didn’t hit well and were staked to an early deficit after a miserable outing by Daniel Bard. Bard’s control was never there– as he walked the first two batters of the game. Jose Bautista worked a full count and eight pitch at bat before turning on a Daniel Bard fastball and sending it into the bleachers for a three run homer. Bard finally got out of the first after 28 pitches, but the Blue Jays got right back at it in the second– loading the bases with two outs on two walks and a hit by pitch. The Blue Jays took two more runs after a walk and hit by pitch with the bases loaded gave the Jays a 5-0 lead.

Bobby Valentine proceeded to do what any sane manager would do and pulled Bard from the game after just 1.2 innings. He put Franklin Morales into the game, a former starter with Colorado. If there was one good thing to take away from today’s game, it was Franklin Morales’ performance. Morales would throw 4.1 innings, allowing just two hits and striking out four. He was consistently ahead of Blue Jays’ hitters and they looked helpless on his breaking ball– which he could throw at any time. After his 4.1 innings, Scott Atchison and Rich Hill each threw a scoreless inning.

Blue Jays’ rookie Drew Hutchison really shut down the Red Sox today. He allowed just a run on a Kelly Shoppach home run in seven innings of work, striking out five and allowing five hits. The only real offensive bright spots were Shoppach– who went 1-2 with that homer and a hit by pitch– and Mike Aviles, who went 2-4 with a pair of singles. It’s a rarity for the Red Sox offense not to back their pitchers so I’d hope to see their offense back again next week. Hopefully, the Red Sox can just forget about this game as– believe me, it was not fun to watch.

Boston Red Sox left fielder Daniel Nava signs autographs for fans prior to playing the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. The Red Sox defeated the Phillies 5-1. Credit: Howard Smith-US PRESSWIRE

I have a very simple question. Is this team likable? For the first time in a while, I feel like I can honestly say yes. Maybe it’s just me; maybe people have always liked this team regardless of who’s on it.

Here’s where I’m coming from. I like the underdog, the dirt dog. I mean, I really like dogs in general (see picture). I’ve rooted for this team my whole life and for most of it the Red Sox weren’t great. Basically I’ve seen one decade of great baseball, and almost two of underdog baseball. I grew up surrounded by the mantra of “There’s always next year”. I grew up playing games like Ken Griffey baseball. I’d always pick the bad teams and try to build them up. I still do that. I used to have one game that  had an “Expansion” mode, where two new teams came in the league, you ran one and had a fantasy draft. These teams were so bad that the best player in those drafts was a young pitcher named Rick Ankiel. I wonder if he’s related to the outfielder? Anyway, that’s where I come from. I like overachievers, guys who leave it all on the field. I like the kind of team that gets described the same way that someone might describe Dustin Pedroia.

Of course I love dogs! Meet my crazy puppy Tobey.

So are the Red Sox in that category? Last year was about two things, disappointment and underachieving stars. The only bright spot might have been Jacoby Ellsbury. But think about the disappointments, Carl Crawford, John Lackey, Kevin Youkilis, Bobby Jenks, Daisuke Matsuzaka, J.D. Drew, Clay Buchholz. These are all players with decent contracts that we expected more from. Now think about how the season ended. The way it went down, they way they responded. Terrible. That’s not the definition of a likeable team.

Now let’s think about this year. Yeah, we’ve got a lot of those same players on the roster but so far we haven’t had to think about them. This year we have Alfredo Aceves, a man willing to do anything that the team asks. A guy who thought he’d be a starter, then told that he’s going to be in the pen, then becomes the closer. Scott Atchison, a 36-year old who was pitching in Japan before pitching in Boston. Rich Hill a hometown guy.  Mike Aviles, a career backup who has never played more than 110 games in a season.

Currently the 4 players on the 40 man roster, not including the DL, that are listed as outfielders are Marlon Byrd, Daniel Nava, Scott Podsednik, and Ryan Sweeney. None of these players were projected to start, only one to be on the team. Podsednik played 39 games with the Dodgers last season and started the year in the Phillies minor league system. Ryan Sweeney has only one season (2009) with at least 400 at bats. Marlon Byrd has had the best career out of all of them, and he averages 40 RBI per season. But most importantly is Daniel Nava. To me, he’s the most likable player on the team.  At 29, he’s played less than 90 games in the majors, all with Boston. Nava was a guy that no one wanted. He was designated for assignment and removed from the Red Sox 40-man roster on May 20, 2011. He was unclaimed and was out-righted back to the Pawtucket Red Sox. This year Nava was not even invited to major league training camp.

And let me talk about two guys who I really like on this team. Former 1^st round picks who have been underachievers their whole career but seem to be getting it together this season. Jarrod Saltalamacchia and Andrew Miller. Miller had such high projections and he may never reach those. Who knows if he will ever be a starter, but I love his arm coming out of the pen. This season in 12 appearances Miller has a 2.38 ERA, 2.4 walks per 9 and 11.9 Ks per 9. All career best. His previous best in various seasons were 4.84, 4.7 bb/9, and 7.9 k/9. And Salty, what a player he has become. This is what people expected all those years when he was considered a top prospect. Compared to all AL catchers with at least 120 ABS (11 qualify), Salty is 3^rd in batting average at .273, 1^st in HRs with 10, and 4^th in RBI with 25. He has the best slugging percentage with .576 and OPS of .883. If he had enough at bats to qualify against all AL batters he’d be 7^th in the American League in SLG and 13^th in OPS.

Boston still has the standard fan favorites, Ortiz, Pedroia, and Ellsbury. That hasn’t changed.  And how can fans not like Gonzalez, a guy who switches positions for the team? I know his personality isn’t what Pedroia’s is but he’s still putting team first. Middlebrooks is winning fans over with his power. With these players and the addition of the misfit toys, how can you not like this team?

I know the counter argument, the starting pitchers. They aren’t likable. They lost most of the goodwill they had last season, but it hasn’t been terrible this season. Beckett has had some rough patches, Lester isn’t the ace that we thought he was, and Buchholz is at risk of losing his starters role but they appear to be getting better. And I mentioned some bullpen pieces earlier, but as a whole, are there any relievers on this team that you don’t like?

I like this team. I feel good rooting for this team. Who knows what will happen with Nava and who knows if Salty and Miller will keep up these numbers. But as long as we have guys that know they need to fight to keep their jobs, to stay in the lineup, to fight for future jobs once the Red Sox get their high priced players back, I will root for these hard workers much like I rooted for Bill Mueller.

The first and probably most encouraging was one helluva performance from Clay Buchholz on Sunday.  The struggling right-hander went 7.0 innings strong, scattering 8 hits while surrendering just runs.  More impressive was his control as he walked just 1 batter and struck out a season high 6 batters proving he still has his dominating stuff.

For Buchholz, despite not picking up the win even though he pitched well enough, this outing has to restore some confidence. It was only the second time this season he went a full 7 innings and he had control of his change up and fastball all game long. Definitely something to build on for Buchhy and the Red Sox.

Kevin Youkilis went 3-for-10 over the three games and while it’s not a huge performance, the fiery third baseman has his timing back after being on the DL.  Well, his first game back he had his timing, but he is continuing to get on base and is answering the questions thus far if he can stay healthy that might warrant a trade.  If the Sox decide to keep him he is another huge presence in the lineup, something that will bode well for this club come the dog days of summer.

Adrian Gonzalez went yard on Sunday, belting a three-run shot to left off Jeremy Hellickson who was in a zone.  It was only Gonzo’s fourth home run of the year and his first at Fenway Park since April 17th.  This is certainly a positive given the amount of criticism Gonzalez has undergone in recent weeks for his lack of power at the plate.

Even Gonzalez is feeling good about the shot, telling NESN that he’s starting to feel more comfortable with his power swing.

“I’ve been having a consistent feel for two days.” – Adrian Gonzalez

For the record Gonzalez now has two home runs in the past seven days.  If Gonzo is in fact heating up, look out as his torrid pace could carry the Sox to many wins.

A fourth positive was Josh Beckett‘s starting performance on Saturday where he went pitch for pitch against the Rays stud, David Price.  Despite not getting the win, Beckett went 7.0 innings strong while not issuing one free pass, the first time he’s done that all year.  It was also the third straight game in which Beckett allowed two runs or less, proving that when push comes to shove, he is the leader of this staff.  Suddenly ‘Golf Gate’ is a distant memory.

The blown loss by Alfredo Aceves was difficult to swallow when you consider that he had recovered nicely from his rough start to the year.  But rarely do you see a closer go perfect on the year so we’ll cut him some slack for now.  The positive is not Aceves but rather his bullpen mates.

Between Andrew Miller, Rich Hill, Franklin Morales, Vicente Padilla, Scott Atchison and Matt Albers, the six relievers only gave up a combined 2 hits over 8.0 innings of work, further enforcing the fact that the Red Sox are developing one of the most reliable bullpens in the majors.  Granted the bullpen has been on a torrid pace for some time, it is comforting to again see a reinforced point that in a tight ballgame these guys will shut the door.

One slip from Aceves cost the Sox the series but the positives far out weigh the negatives and this ball team appears to have turned the corner.

One month into the regular season and the Red Sox find themselves in unfamiliar territory through the month of April; last place in the AL East.  But the good news is that they remain well within striking distance of the four other clubs and first place.

With the first of six months now in the books let’s grade the Red Sox with our monthly report card.

A+

David Ortiz – proving he is worth the salary the Red Sox gave him, returning to dominance.

Ryan Sweeney – more than 10 doubles in the first month from a guy who wasn’t supposed to hit his weight.

Junichi Tazawa – hasn’t allowed a run in relief, enough said.

A

Scott Atchison – a reliable arm out of the pen despite a couple shaky outings.

Cody Ross – he’s been pimping at the plate with 5 home runs.

Mike Aviles – had the unenviable task of trying to replace Jacoby Ellsbury as the leadoff man and he’s passed the test.

Marlon Byrd – small sample pool but making Ben Cherington look like an early genius.

B+

Felix Doubront – proven to be a great fourth arm for a rotation that has many questions.

Dustin Pedroia – scrappy, edgy leader who wills this team to victories on some nights

Daniel Bard – has silenced the critics and appears to have won the starting rotation battle

B

Jon Lester – two strong outings with little to no offense.

Matt Albers – decent relief outings muddled by one poor one.

Josh Beckett – one or two bad outings saddled with little offense, otherwise a nice start to the year.

Vicente Padilla – quickly becoming a trusted 8th inning guy.

C+

Jarrod Saltalamacchia – came on strong in the last week of the month

Alfredo Aceves – five saves in seven attempts redeems a higher grade.

Franklin Morales – average out of the bullpen.

C

Nick Punto – steady defense, inconsistent batting

Adrian Gonzalez – struggling to get to the level we’re used to seeing from Gonzo. Striking out a lot more.

D

Kelly Shoppach – meh, not much of anything aside from his four hit game against the Rays.

D-

Clay Buchholz – the only thing that’s keeping him from a F is his one good start against Tampa Bay.

Darnell McDonald – after a hot spring training he’s back to the old McDonald.

F

Kevin Youkilis – despite coming on late in the month, he’s again battling a broken down body and struggled overall for the month.

Rich Hill – small sample but struggled with command.

Carl Crawford – for the obvious reasons.

Mark Melancon – optioned to AAA and he might never return to the big leagues.

Incomplete:

Jacoby Ellsbury – IR

Jason Repko – IR

Overall Pitching: C

Decent starts from some but not all starters and the bullpen members range from shaky to good.

Overall Position Players: A

The offense has found it’s groove but sometimes no lead is safe.

Manager Bobby Valentine: C

Has made many questionable calls, plus he opens his mouth too much.

Overall Team: C+

After a rough start followed up by a catastrophic shellacking by Texas and New York, this team appears to have figured things out.  Still have to prove they can run with the big dogs and help appears to be on the way for the bullpen.

What are your thoughts on the grades?

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The Red Sox bullpen is need of some depth and it appears help is on the way.  Rich Hill who underwent Tommy John Surgery eleven months ago has rejoined the team in time to help save the bullpen.  To make room for Hill, Justin Thomas was optioned to AAA Pawtucket, a move that makes sense given the lefties struggles.

The Hill return is a miraculous story about an athlete not only beating the odds of Tommy John Surgery but returning much sooner than expected.  Scott Lauber of the Boston Herald covered the story of how Hill strictly followed a program designed for his rehab by Red Sox head physical therapist Mike Reinold.

Hill appeared in eight rehab stints in the minor leagues and proved he was ready for the big club, after posting an ERA of 2.00, struck out 18, allowed five hits and issued just two walks.

Given the inconsistencies of the some of the late inning relievers, namely Vicente Padilla and Scott Atchison, Hill could become the ultimate setup man for closer Alfredo Aceves.  If Hill can convert to that reliable eighth inning guy, Daniel Bard‘s desire to stay in the rotation looks to be more of a reality.

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The series finale between the Red Sox and Twins became a scene all to familiar to the Red Sox this season.  Like a young child who continues to wet the bed and all he can say is “oh oh, I did it again” the Red Sox bullpen was once again doing there best to blow the game….again.

After the offense had pulled the Sox out in front to a 7-1 lead, Clay Buchholz was finally lifted for some relief but not before he loaded the bases in the sixth inning.  Buchholz, who threw 107 pitches and appeared to be the latest victim of manager Bobby Valentine’s lack of knowledge of when to pull his starters, scattered 10 hits over 5.1 innings of work.  He was tagged for 5 earned runs, walked 3 and struck out 2 while picking up his second win on the season.

Back to the bullpen.  First it was Scott Atchison who inherited Buchholz’s, or should I say Valentine’s mess and in an unlike Atchison fashion he gave up a single off his foot to Joe Mauer that scored two runners.  Atchison would be replaced by Justin Thomas and things would get a whole lot more interesting.

Thomas surrendered a double to Justin Morneau cutting the lead to 7-5.  Thomas would then hit Chris Parmalee with a pitch before giving the ball over to Matt Albers.  It was at this point that I honestly thought to myself, here we frickin’ go again.

Albers who has been as hot and cold as a guy who got what he wanted on a first date only to never call the girl again, was cold on this night.  Trevor Plouffe of the Twins singled in a run off Albers making the game very interesting for the final three innings with a 7-6 Red Sox lead.

Vicente Padilla pitched the seventh and gave a clean inning, as did Franklin Morales in the eighth.  It should be noted that Morales went through the heart of the Twins order without a hit or a walk while fanning one.  An impressive outing to say the least.

Finally, it came to the ninth and it was Alfredo Aceves who was beckoned to save the game.  Yes, the same Aceves who said last week that he’s not comfortable being the closer and may never be comfortable in that role.

He showed that again tonight giving up a hit, a walk and a hit batsman to load the bases before striking out Denard Span to end the ballgame.  Ok, so I didn’t exactly build up the ninth with a whole lot of drama, but I feel as though we’ve been through enough drama already this season that there’s not point adding anymore in here.  Red Sox win, Aceves gets the save (barely) and the Sox have won three in a row.  Shhh, don’t tell Bobby V that his club is on a 3-game winning streak or he might open his mouth again.

From an offensive standpoint, it was Dustin Pedroia who led the charge on this night, going 3-for-4 and was a home run shy of hitting for the cycle.  Oddly enough Pedey never collected a RBI on the night.  Mike Aviles continues to produce at the lead-off position, cranking his fourth homer of the year in what was a three-run shot.  In all, the bats were good for 10 hits, mainly all singles.

Up next for the Olde Town Team is a battle of the Sox when the Red Sox head to the windy city to battle the White Sox.  We’ll have a series preview for you right here on BoSox Injection.

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The setting was a familiar one in the first inning of the Red Sox and Twins game on Tuesday night.  Josh Beckett was staked a 3-0 lead before he took to the rubber and once again he was on the verge of raising the blood pressure of every Red Sox fan across the Nation.  Beckett walked three straight which included walking in a run but then finally settled down and escaped a bases loaded jam to conclude the first while giving his team a 3-1 lead.  After that it was vintage Beckett for the most part, going six strong innings, surrendering two earned runs on five hits, while walking three and fanning five.  The promising stat is that after the three straight walks, Beckett never gave up another free pass for the rest of his outing.

Scott Atchison came on in relief and did what Scott Atchison has done consistently during his early season appearances, get batters out.  The veteran reliever went two innings without allowing a hit while striking out three.  He also lowered his team leading ERA to 1.54.

Matt Albers was called on to round out the ninth and even he couldn’t blow a nine run lead on this night.  Albers would give up a one out double before retiring the final two outs and securing the victory for the Olde Towne Team.

From an offensive standpoint, the runs came early and often.  It started in the first with RBI singles from Ryan Sweeney and David Ortiz before Cody Ross grounded out to drive in a run with the bases loaded.

The long ball was once again popping off the Red Sox bats when David Ortiz went deep to right in the 3rd and Aviles sent a solo shot over the wall in the 4th making the lead 6-1.  Adrian Gonzalez would single in Sweeney later in the 4th before Aviles, Pedroia and Gonzalez all ripped run scoring doubles in the 5th making it a 10-1 score.

Red Sox fans learnt something on the weekend and that was no lead is safe.  Josh Willingham put the fear back into the hearts of Red Sox Nation with an RBI double in the bottom of the 5th but Beckett would shut the door for the rest of his night.

The Sox would add one more in the 8th when Darnell McDonald grounded into a force out that scored Lars Anderson.

Once again the offense came through with more than enough support on this night and despite a shaky first, Josh Beckett was solid on the mound.  Mike Aviles had a four hit night and all Red Sox starters managed a hit except for Monday night’s hero Cody Ross.  Baseball can be a funny game can’t it?

Make it two wins in a row for the Red Sox thanks to the route of the Twins.  The Sox will go for the series sweep on Wednesday when they send Clay Buchholz to the mound.  Buchholz has struggled to regain his dominating form, often serving up one or two bad innings that cost him the game.  Perhaps this will be the start of something good for this club.

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April 17, 2012; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Red Sox starting pitcher

Rangers 18-Red Sox 3

Speaking to the editor about this recap I stated to him that “I don’t even know where to go with this”– Yes, it was that kind of game for the Red Sox and more specifically their pitching staff. Virtually from start to finish, they couldn’t get the job done.

Trouble found it’s way to Jon Lester early–After Dustin Pedroia put one just over the monster seats in the Sox half of the first, Lester quickly coughed up the lead and then some in the second.

It started with a 2-run shot from Mike Napoli, followed by walk,single,walk and a slow roller off the bat of Elvis Andrus that Lester couldn’t make a play on, allowing Yorvit Torrealba to score from third.

Josh Hamilton followed that madness with a weakly hit fly ball that Cody Ross completely whiffed on, allowing Craig Gentry to score from third.

Finally–after a 49 pitch frame–Lester was able to get Michael Young to ground out to end the inning but it was ugly no matter which way you sell it and it was far from over.

The Red Sox’ ace allowed the first three to reach in the third on a base hit and two walks before being relieved of his duties in favor of Scott Atchison who would allow all three runners to come around and make it a 7-3 game.

The Rangers powerful bats were just getting started though.

After a few relatively quiet frames–with a solo homer mixed in from Michael Young–things got hideous for the Sox in the eighth with Mark Melancon on the mound.

A mammoth 3-run home run–Jerry Remy described it as “one of the longest he’s seen at Fenway”–came off the bat of Josh Hamilton, Adrian Beltre followed immediately with a solo shot and not to be outdone, Nelson Cruz stuck the dagger in with a 2-run homer.

Three home runs, zero outs later and Mark Melancon looks 2012′s version of Tim Wakefield from last year. Somebody better buy him a mop because he’s sure to be filling some clean-up duty with the Sox.

The Rangers would add a pair in the ninth–making it 18-3–on Mike Napoli’s second blast of the game and Adrian Gonzalez hit a solo shot in the Sox half of the eighth but it wasn’t enough to spark a late inning comeback, obviously.

Bottom line–the pitching on the Sox side of this game sucked. Jon Lester wasn’t himself from the jump, Scott Atchison inherited a mess that he couldn’t make magically go away and Mark Melancon has a 49.50 ERA on the season–enough said.

The Red Sox and Josh Beckett will look to salvage a split with the Rangers tomorrow night at Fenway Park.

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Injuries to designated closers are piling up around the majors with Brian Wilson of the San Francisco Giants being the latest victim.  Wilson, who often depicts as though he’s a few bricks short of a load, may need Tommy John Surgery on his throwing elbow which would force him to miss the rest of the 2012 season.  Wilson would join Andrew Bailey of the Red Sox, Kyle Farnsworth of the Rays and Ryan Madson of the Reds on the list of closers who will miss significant playing time this season due to injury and could force the Giants to add another bullpen piece for their stretch run.

You could probably even throw in the Yankees as potential buyers for bullpen help, so if the Sox are even remotely considering looking for help in the pen, the time is now rather than the July deadline when the price on good, quality relievers is surely to skyrocket.

Mike Gonzalez is the first name that comes to mind.  He is the most noticeable and in all honesty the most reliable arm still available on the free-agent market.  His durability does bring concern along with his high contract demands, making him a gamble for any club.  But with so many teams looking for help, surely someone will take a chance on him.

After the first three games in Detroit, Red Sox fans were screaming for Daniel Bard to be summoned to the bullpen to help stop the bleeding, myself included.  It’s amazing what a couple of wins will do to a greaving fanbase.  Alfredo Aceves appears to have settled in nicely and refound his control that makes him so effective on the mound.  While Mark Melancon is still an instant headache as soon as he takes to the rubber, other internal candidates could be the solution instead of going out and making a deal with another club.  Guys like Vicente Padilla and Scott Atchison have shown promise in his young season as has Franklin Morales.  With Andrew Miller and Rich Hill inching closer to returning, additional help is on the horizon from the bowels of the organization.

Keep in mind that both Daisuke Matsuzaka and Andrew Bailey are penciled in to return after the all-star break, giving the Red Sox a plethora of pitching arms.  By that time the cream will be separated from the wheat, proving which arms will be reliable for the stretch run and which will become expendable via the trade market.

Maybe the time isn’t now for the Red Sox to make any sudden moves with their bullpen.  Maybe sitting tight and seeing how things play out over the next few months is the proper course of action.  Of course that will suffice providing the club can tread water and keep pace in the AL East over that time.  If things should go south again, then a deal to bolster the bullpen will be required to help this club straighten out and fly right.

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It was only game one but we have already seen shades of a shaky Red Sox bullpen that couldn’t contain the opponents offense, leading to a walk-off win for the Tigers.  Not only did it cost Bobby V a chance at his first win as the Red Sox manager, it also spoiled one hell of an outing from Jon Lester.  A potential trend that is best left unfulfilled.

So what can be done about the lack of depth and effectiveness out of the pen?  Well, Aceves closing is a good place to start.  Last year he was brilliant as a setup/middle relief arm.  He doesn’t do his best work when he inherits runners, a scene that closers encounter far too often.  The solution?  Move Daniel Bard back to the closing role and Aceves to the rotation, plain and simple (Aaron Cook could be an option to start as well).

I understand the organization wants to see Bard succeed as a starter, but is it worth losing precious games so Bard can transition into a starter?  NO! At least for this year Bard should be closing and reassess the situation after this season where he can then have another spring to move into the rotation.

Mark Melancon was, too say the least, shaky in the opener.  He lacked control and failed to hit his targets, resulting in crowding the base paths awfully quick.  Last year in Houston he was effective as a closer but this spring he struggled and if yesterday was any indication he will  need some confidence before he’s ready to take the ball in the ninth.  The solution?  Leave him as the setup man.

After the aforementioned names, there aren’t many names in the pen that can compete with the other AL East bullpens.  Tony Massarotti of the Boston Globe does a nice job comparing the Sox situation to the Rays and Yankees.

I’ve said it before; the names Franklin Morales, Matt Albers, Michael Bowden, Scott Atchison, Justin Thomas and Vicente Padilla are not going to get the job done.  Padilla is a rehabbing project that has potential but not late in the game with the score tied.  Morales can have the lefties despite his high walk ratio and if Andrew Miller can suddenly rebound and be productive, he too can be a lefty specialist.

After that, it’s Albers who has an ERA similar to John Lackey‘s, walks over 4 batters per 9 innings and has yet to prove he can be a consistent arm when needed.

Scott Atchison is a nice, heart felt story about a 36-year old who has bounced the minors for so long and still has the desire to crack the majors.  That’s terrific….if Disney is looking for a new baseball movie.  Oh wait, that was done with Dennis Quaid.

Michael Bowden has potential, but he better start showing it as he’s out of options and could either be released or traded.  And don’t get me started on Justin Thomas.  He needs to be in AAA but with so many injuries the Sox didn’t have much choice other than to keep him around.

So what can be done to shore up the Sox bullpen.  Mazz reminds us all of what happened in 2003 with the bullpen and how it is eerily similar to this young season.  We all know what happened that year.

Trades are an option for Ben Cherington as is Mike Gonzalez who still remains a free-agent. With the trade table being set, Cherington better be prepared to part ways with multiple high-end prospects for any decent reliever and that doesn’t make much sense.

As the games roll on throughout the first month it will be interesting to see how the bullpen fairs.  Should yesterday’s performance have set a precedent then fans will become quite impatient by early May, calling for a solution to the bullpen that may be easier said then done.  There is always the hope that a young arm from the minors emerges as a budding star, similar to Papelbon in 2005.  Isn’t it funny how we continue to revert back to Papelbon, even after he’s long gone.

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In our latest poll at BSI we asked who Red Sox Nation and you the reader would rather have in the bullpen; free-agent Mike Gonzalez or currently injured Andrew Miller.

There were 102 votes cast and by a margin of 61 to 41, Mike Gonzalez is the preferred reliever of the two.  It turned out to be a much closer vote than when it first started as Gonzalez was off to a runaway lead.  But Miller must have more fans than originally thought as he managed to pull in 40% of the votes.

With the current MASH unit building up in the Red Sox pitching arsenal, signing Mike Gonzalez would be a logical solution considering the current projected lineup doesn’t hold a lot of faith.  With names like Matt Albers, Scott Atchison and Justin Thomas, having Gonzalez available would be a welcomed site for any Red Sox fan.

Recently Gonzalez was spotted working out for the Cincinnati Reds after their closer Ryan Madson was destined to have Tommy John Surgery and subsequently miss the entire 2012 season. Meaning the desire to sign Gonzalez may speed up if the Red Sox are still indeed interested.

Thanks for voting and be sure to check out our latest poll where Rick asked who you think will be this year’s sleeper team.

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The regular season is five days away and still there are question marks surrounding the Boston Red Sox.  While we were given answers to the catching situation and finally told who would make up the five man starting rotation, we are still left wondering who will make up the bullpen and how they will fair.

With news that Andrew Bailey could miss the start of the season, the focus turns to Mark Melancon and Alfredo Aceves.  Check out my previous piece on how those two stack up as potential closers.  That is not where the problem lies as I feel confident in either pitcher, or both for that matter as the eighth and ninth inning guys.

Rather it’s getting the game to those two with the lead still in tact that has me tossing and turning at night.  Last year we witnessed one of the best one-two punch in the game and throw in Aceves as the seventh inning specialist and it was almost always lights out.

But this year looks different already.  Gone is Jonathan Papelbon and Daniel Bard is in the rotation, at least for now.  Meaning Aceves will either close or setup providing Bailey starts the year on the DL.

That leaves the bullpen a little thin from my calculation.

According to Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe the bullpen options include Vicente Padilla, Matt Albers, Scott Atchison, Aaron Cook, Ross Ohlendorf, Justin Thomas, Michael Bowden and Franklin Morales left to battle it out for a spot.  If you have a concerned look on your face after reading that list you are not alone.

Franklin Morales will be used as a lefty specialist so he’s almost a lock given that Andrew Miller is likely to start the year on the DL.

Does Matt Albers bring a bout of confidence?  Ummm, nope.  How about Scott Atchison?  Yeah right.    Bobby V pegged Aaron Cook and Ross Ohlendorf as starters with Pawtucket so they’re out.  Justin Thomas, well, he will be the perfect pitcher on those nights when nothing is going right, the game’s out of reach and some innings need to be eaten.  In other words, he doesn’t restore much, if any faith.

Michael Bowden is an option as is Vicente Padilla but considering both would require room to be made on the 40-man roster, it brings up another question.  Who goes off that roster?

Abraham predicts Padilla, Atchison, Bowden and Thomas will stick with Albers and Morales already having a spot.  The bullpen would look like this: Aceves, Melancon, Albers, Padilla, Morales, Atchison, Bowden and Thomas.  As I said in the beginning, there is plenty of uncertainty with that bullpen lineup.  A healthy and productive Andrew Bailey could make a world of difference as Aceves could resume his former role of jack of all trades when it comes to the bullpen.

For now Daniel Bard’s presence in the bullpen becomes a much more intriguing option.  Needless to say as does Roy Oswalt’s for the staring rotation.

It’s hard to believe that one year ago the bullpen was one of the most consistent parts of the Red Sox.  Now it has the most question marks.

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Jacoby Ellsbury, CF
Dustin Pedroia, 2B
Adrian Gonzalez, 1B
Kevin Youkilis, 3B
David Ortiz, DH
Cody Ross, LF
Jarrod Saltalamacchia, C
Ryan Sweeney, RF
Mike Aviles, SS

Vicente Padilla, P

Vicente Padilla started the game for the Red Sox today but is likely to see a long relief role on the team after Felix Doubront and Daniel Bard were given the final two bullpen spots today.

Padilla pitched a strong 1 1/3 allowing 2 hits, no runs and striking out a pair on just 21 pitches.

Scott Atchison came on in relief and pitched 2 2/3 innings, he allowed just a hit, no walks and struck out 3.

The only run the Twins mustered out of Red Sox pitching came when Chris Parmelee hit a solo homer off Garrett Mock.

Pedro Ciriaco came on to pinch run for Kevin Youkilis in the sixth inning after Youk was hit by a pitch. The speedy infielder stole second and third before Cody Ross smacked a double to drive him in and give the Red Sox their first run of the game.

Ryan Sweeney went on to drive in Cody Ross with a single, Mike Aviles doubled to left to drive in Sweeney and push Twins starter Carl Pavano out of the game after 5 2/3.

The replacement, Alex Burnett was greeted by a triple off the bat of Jacoby Ellsbury that pushed across the Sox’ fourth run of the inning. The inning may have been extended further but Ellsbury tried to score when the ball kicked off of him into left field and was thrown out at the plate.

Adrian Gonzalez and Pedro Ciriaco hit consecutive doubles in the bottom of the seventh to give the Sox their fifth and final run of the game.

Pedro Ciriaco may have seen his chances of making the team dwindle away with the news of Andrew Bailey’s injury but if an opportunity opens up down the road, we could see Ciriaco with the big club in 2012.

That’s the wrap for today’s game. The Red Sox head up to face the Washington Nationals in the final two games before Opening Day baseball April 5th.

Final Score: Red Sox 5 Twins 1

Citizens of Red Sox Nation: stop! Stop all the ‘gnashing of hands’ and ‘wringing of teeth’  over the elusive, “Fifth Starter,” because:

1. Finding a single pitcher to equal, or better, last season’s Fifth Starter                      will not be very difficult, at all.

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The waiver wire is MLB’s garage sale; players that you would like to keep, if you only had room for them, are put out on the lawn.

The Red Sox have six players on their protected 40-man roster, who are “out of options.” These guys have less than five years service time and are also out of minor league options. This means that the Sox must either: 1. keep the player and use a valuable roster slot, 2. release him outright, or 3. try to sneak him through the waiver wire process, so he can be reassigned to one of their minor league affiliates.

The six players at the Decision Diamond are: Michael Bowden, Felix Doubront, Andrew Miller, Darnell McDonald, Franklin Morales, and Matt Albers.

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Excitement is starting to build around the Red Sox as Spring Training lingers.  There still remains a lot of talk surrounding Roy Oswalt and whether or not he wants to play in Boston and this week was no different.  Outside of Oswalt, the Sox are still making news and we’ve got you covered on a quick roundup on the week that was here at BSI.  Of course the big launch of Fansided 3.0 also gave BSI a new and improved look with multiple outlets to fill your Red Sox needs.  From videos, to re-tweets, we’ve got you covered on all things BoSox.

Saturday

- Josh Beckett broke his silence and spoke on last season’s collapse.  His attitude appears to be heading in the right direction, or at least that’s what he wants us to believe.

- Earl discusses whether or not the Red Sox need Tim Wakefield back for one more season.

Sunday

- we rounded up the latest on all Red Sox rumors, trade speculations and free agents.

Monday

- the 2012 projections continued with Josh Beckett being the first pitcher to get analyzed.  The gurus say he’ll have a very similar year to last year, but some disagree.

- an in-depth analysis was done on the past 10 World Series champions.  What we discovered was that every one of those teams had at least one pitcher throw in over 200 innings during the season.  Something the Red Sox will need this year if they want to contend.

Tuesday

- Earl did his regular book review on evaluating player’s defense and he makes a lot of compelling points.

- Scott Atchison will get another shot to crack the Red Sox lineup after he cleared waivers this week.

- Jon Lester was the next pitcher to go under the projections microscope. 

Wednesday

- Earl looks at the controversial topic of instant replay and the use of it in the postseason.

Thursday

- with reports coming out that the Red Sox had not made any traction with Roy Oswalt, we look at whether or not the club needs his services. 

- our first look at the revamped bullpen has many pleasant surprises.

Friday

- after the Red Sox farm system is ranked dead last in the AL, Earl looks into it and argues that point.

- Youkilis is getting married to Tom Brady’s sister! No joke, it’s for real.

- the Red Sox get their very own private charter and the thing is pimped out.

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