Francona should summon Papelbon for five outs more often

Beyond Jonathan Papelbon, the bullpen offers him little relief. Even the young closer isn't as dominant as he was last season, so the manager rocks back and forth on his dugout seat just as Red Sox fans squirm in stands and on couches nationwide whenever a Boston reliever appears. Welcome to Terry Francona's world.

It is not Francona's fault when he leaves a starter in longer than he would have in previous seasons, and that starters coughs up runs. After all, who would you rather see on the mound in the seventh and eighth innings - Josh Beckett, who has thrown 110 pitches, or the cast of characters in this underperforming bullpen? As long as the starter of the day's pitch count is reasonable, I would rather see him in the late innings than any Red Sox reliever other than Papelbon.

Apparently, Francona feels the same way. Last night, with the bases loaded and one out in the eighth inning, Tito summoned Papelbon to squash the Seattle rally and preserve Boston's 4-0 lead. Jon Lester pitched a gem, limiting the Mariners to eight hits while striking out six and not walking a batter over 7.1 innings. With the sacks full, it was not an ideal spot for Hideki Okajima, the other reliever warming up in the bullpen. Okajima has struggled in every situation, but especially with allowing inherited runners to score.

Papelbon did his job, inducing an inning-ending double play grounder from Raul Ibanez. After throwing just two pitches in the eighth, Papebon retired the side in order in the ninth to secure his 29th save and end Boston's five-game losing skid on the road.

There was a time, even as recent as the 1980s, when it was common for starters to last seven innings and a closer to pitch for the final two frames. It makes sense to use Papelbon in the eighth inning, even when there are no outs. As long as he does not pitch multiple innings in consecutive games, Papelbon can serve as his own bridge without having to rely upon the disappointing Manny Delcarmen, Craig Hansen, Javier Lopez, Mike Timlin and Okajima.

Perhaps Justin Masterson, who was called up from Pawtucket over the weekend when David Aardsma was placed on the disabled list with a groin injury, will emerge as a dominant late-inning set-up man. The Red Sox desperately need this to happen. According to Theo Epstein, the asking price for relievers is high, so it is not a given that the Red Sox will acquire someone like Damaso Marte or Brian Fuentes. The bullpen problem will have to be repaired from within. Michael Bowden, the 21-year-old phenom who made his first start at Triple-A Pawtucket last night, may be used in relief, too.

With last night's win, Boston is 22-32 on the road. The embarrassing record can be directly attributed to relievers frequently blowing leads handed to them from the starting rotation. It is why the Red Sox are in second place, looking up at Tampa Bay, and it is why the Sox were not able to distance themselves from the New York Yankees, which are playing much better and are back in the American League East race.

Though the lineup stranded 13 runners last night and has looked sluggish on the current road trip, Boston will score enough runs to win. Even with the uncertainty of whether Clay Buchholz is ready to consistently deliver quality outings in the Major Leagues, Boston's rotation is one of the best in baseball. The team's fate will ultimately be decided by the bullpen. If Masterson serves as an effective bridge to Papelbon, Delcarmen and Okajima right themselves, and Hansen gains confidence, then the Red Sox will win the division. If Papelbon remains the only bright spot, October baseball in Boston is unlikely, unless starters regularly last into the eighth inning and Papelbon serves as his own set-up man.