As The Pitching Goes...

While the bullpen has received a good deal of heat in the aftermath of back-to-back shaky efforts in losses to the Devil Rays, Sox starters have also struggled, with a 3-7 record and 6.00 ERA over those 15 games. No starter other than Curt Schilling (twice) and Josh Beckett (once) has won in that time, and only once has a starter gone as many as seven innings (Schilling in last Friday's 3-2 win over Tampa Bay). That has had a ripple effect on a pen that is showing the strain of a heavy workload.

The bullpen (3-2, 5.63 ERA in that stretch) hasn't been able to bail out the starters with any consistency. Whether it's the kids -- Craig Hansen (6.75 ERA in seven appearances, scored upon in three of his last four), and Manny Delcarmen (12.60 ERA in six appearances, scored upon in four) -- or the old reliable, Mike Timlin (9.53 ERA in six appearances, an alarming 4 home runs in just 5 2/3 innings), the pen hardly offers safe refuge.

One bright spot? Since July 1, Rudy Seanez has an 0.79 ERA in 11 1/3 innings over 6 appearances. The only earned run he gave up over that period came in a 2 1/3 inning outing.