Sputtering Bullpen Leads to Lost Ground
8/15/2010: Rangers 7, Red Sox 3
Lost in the static of another frustrating defeat is the fact that Daisuke Matsuzaka once again pitched well, much better than his line score would indicate. Two of his four earned runs crossed the plate when Michael Young took Manny Delcarmen deep with 2-outs in the 7th inning.
The Sox have blown come opportunities to keep up with/gain ground on the Wild Card leading Tampa Bay Rays, but unfortunately, the team can’t really find much consistency in the bullpen aside from one Daniel Bard. In the last three Red Sox losses, the bullpen has done this:
| Date | IP | ER |
| 8/12/2010 | 0.666 | 3 |
| 8/13/2010 | 5 | 4 |
| 8/15/2010 | 1.333 | 3 |
| Total | 7 | 10 |
| Bullpen ERA, last 3 losses | 12.86 | |
Notes and takeaways:
- Some relief on the injury front: All-Star second baseman Dustin Pedroia should return to the lineup tonight.
- On the other side of the rehab spectrum; don’t start penciling Carlos Delgado into the roster just yet. He left yesterday’s Pawsox game after the third inning with stiffness in his hip (an area he has had multiple surgeries on in the past). Delgado has hit three singles in 13 at-bats thus far, with 6 Ks and no walks.
