Eighth inning ... tie game ...runner at third ... nobody out .. the Red Sox bullpen on the job ... HELP!
But wait ... weak ground ball to first ... line drive to third ... strikeout! Out of the inning ... runner left at third!
Could this be? Against the Sox pen? Well it was last night, and then Cody Ross hit his second homer of the night in the top of the ninth and the Sox beat the Twins 6-5. So the Old Towne Team lives to play another day and we now have a full blown pitching controversy ... because the guy right in the middle of that bullpen effort last night was Daniel Bard. He got the last two outs in the eighth. He was on loan back to the pen last night ... Sunday night's rainout opening a spot in the starting rotation. The Sox insist it is just a temporary thing ... he'll be back in the rotation the next time they need a fifth starter. But with other options looming down the road ... Aaron Cook ... Dice K ... one has to wonder if it is his roll in the rotation that is temporary.