McAdam: For second straight night, Red Sox survive an endless inning from their bullpen

In the span of just a few days, the focus has shifted from the beginning of Red Sox games to the end.

On the first homestand, Red Sox starters were getting shelled nightly, creating deficits that the 1927 Yankees couldn't have overcome. It was dispiriting, with the games over almost before they started.

Over the last two nights, the work of the starters has vastly improved, and that, as much as anything, explains how the Red Sox were able to sweep their two-game set with the Mets in Citi Field. Wednesday night, Nathan Eovaldi did battle with Jacob deGrom and held his own.

Thursday, Martin Perez made huge strides over his first outing last weekend and limited the Mets to just two runs over six.

It's amazing what a difference it can make when you're not reeling and demoralized before the other guys go through the order a second time.

But as so often happens in the game, once one problem gets solved, another rears its ugly head. Now, it's not how the Red Sox start, it's how they finish.



In the series opener, Brandon Workman somehow managed to wiggle out of a mess of his own creation, leaving the bases loaded and Red Sox fans hiding under the covers with a chaotic 30-pitch ninth. It was hardly how you would draw it up, but the Sox, desperate for a win just six games in, were too polite to complain much.

The expectation Thursday afternoon was that Workman would be unavailable for the series finale. He had pitched an inning of mop-up Tuesday night at Fenway, since teams accustomed to getting blown out sometimes have to get creative in order to find work for their closers.

That, coupled with the 30-pitch marathon Wednesday seemed to point to Workman getting the night off.

As it turned out, he told Ron Roenicke he felt fine and could give him an inning if necessary. And it was. But getting there turned out to be an adventure.

First came the roller coaster eighth in which Matt Barnes seemed to be thinking to himself: It took Workman 30 pitches last night; I wonder if I could possibly throw even more and still keep them off the scoreboard?

The answer, surprisingly, turned out to be yes. But what a journey.

Again taking a page out of Workman's playbook from the previous night, Barnes started things off by plunking Pete Alonso, thus violating the cardinal rule for late-inning relievers: Thou shall not put the leadoff man. Or if you do, make him earn it.

Barnes did neither. He then engaged in a drawn-out duel with Jeff McNeil, who expertly spoiled a good half-dozen of the best Barnes could muster, extending the drama before finally lining out. A single by J.D. Davis gave the Mets two on and put the potential tying run in scoring position.

Two more marathon at-bats followed, one ending with a strikeout of Michael Conforto and the next, with a 10-pitch grudge match against Yoenis Cespedes. Barnes dropped curveball after curveball on the slugger before deciding to finally show his fastball, which missed its spot and resulted in a walk, filling the bases.

With no margin for error, Barnes then got Robinson Cano to bounce a harmless chopper to first for the final out, leaving the bases full.

Total pitch count: 37.

There was no video of Barnes sticking his tongue out to Workman, Joe Kelly-style, as he left the mound. But it might have been justified.

Thirty-seven pitches? To get three outs?

If this is how it's going to be in the late innings, Red Sox fans might prefer the shelling to begin in the early innings again. At least then, you're freed from having to remain invested. The outcome is already determined.

But when it's the relievers providing the late-inning agita, it somehow seems more excruciating. You're already invested in the game, and it's impossible to walk away from a one-run thriller.

But between the pitches that seem to miss by a half-inch to the endless succession of foul balls, the tension can be unbearable.

Fortunately, after the steady drip of the 37 pitches from Barnes, Workman entered for the ninth, by now in possession of a two-run lead thanks to an insurance run that was pushed across in the top of the inning.

It was if Workman was on a mission to show how efficient he could be, 24 hours after it appeared as though that was the least important thing in the world to him. In the span of 15 pitches, Workman sliced through four hitters to get three outs and his second save in as many nights.

"(Wednesday) night, I was pretty happy with my stuff,'' Workman said, "but my execution wasn't crisp at all. Tonight, I was able to locate, get ahead in counts, work ahead and that was the main difference. I didn't really make any adjustments, I was just a lot better tonight, honestly.''

That's how it is with relievers.

The details don't concern the Red Sox for now. They're too busy longing for wins any way they can get them.

The last two have been hard-fought. And for an inning, hard to watch.