Labeled early on this season as a potentially fatal weak link in the Sox chain, select members of the Boston bullpen have become an undeniable strength during the second half of the season.
Closer Jonathan Papelbon has been the heat-throwing, save-collecting constant at the back end of the bullpen, but lefty Hideki Okajima and righty Justin Masterson have noticeably stabilized the relief corps since the All-Star break. A little more subtle are the solid numbers that right-handers Manny Delcarmen and Mike Timlin are also putting up lately, and never was that more obvious than in Sunday's extra-inning victory in Toronto.
The hard-throwing and vastly talented Delcarmen, in particular, needs to continue improving as the season marches on and cement his status as a reliable bridge to Papelbon.
"These games are really important now," Delcarmen told reporters. "You want to get in there and throw strikes and try to get ahead of the hitters, and hopefully you come out of it with a win."
Papelbon (zero earned runs in 16 innings since the All-Star break), Okajima (2.77 ERA since the break), Masterson (1.96 ERA since the break), Delcarmen (3.60 ERA since the break) and Timlin (2.77 ERA since the break) have combined to give Sox manager Terry Francona consistency out of the bullpen.
The aggregate post-All-Star break numbers for the quintet of relievers: 4-0 with a 2.15 ERA in 75 1/3 innings with six saves and six holds.
Those are certainly numbers that the Sox will take going forward out of the big arms in the bullpen, and the Sox will need them if they're going to tighten their grip on the AL wild card.
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