Clubhouse Insider

It's the Red Sox and rays from the -- this is -- Herb Chambers Cadillac in Providence pregame show and it's time for the clubhouse insider with WEEI dot -- rob Bradford rob. Let's start would last night and let's start in the eighth inning when the game hung in the balance and obviously it was very obvious to everyone who watched how important this game was the Red Sox and Terry Francona and Jonathan Papelbon comes in in the eighth inning bases loaded.

Nobody yeah yeah absolutely and you are you really campaign too much of it on Okajima Agassi came because he ended up being pitcher on the mound giving of -- hits. And allowing the base runners budget there was couple bloop hits in the things are going to happen here again. But the bigger issue is like you said Johnson palpable on what he came in to do which is record the first two out two inning save. During the regular season of his career. So I think that that's a momentous occasion to be sure and doesn't Pavel one's been pitching very very well the last couple weeks here. And he has been pretty well all season with the bases loaded and that was obviously another instance of it last night.

I mean he was aided in the eighth by the great catch by Jacoby Ellsbury in center field as impressed as I was with when he was able to in that jam it comes out that I. No problems plausible way 123 and that's as a lot to me about where he's at right now physically -- he. He he's talked about that the last week or so about how he really. Understand that this is the time you have to take care your body. He's preparing all season to get to this point. And he's also had some stretches here where he's had some rest between appearances and you can tell you can tell with a life on his fastball. You right in that last inning when each team and am in the last inning he really looked like he was in command of things in. And that's what you understand is they're going to need to afford. We can't forget that type of pitcher Jonathan Papelbon has been in clutch situations down the stretch -- in the regular season -- the -- the guy still has yet to give up a run in the playoffs it's pretty -- the other reliever worth mentioning from last night as Billy Wagner. Temper your excitement -- in two appearances since he's come to the Red Sox but. In those two appearances he has really open semis. Now you're starting at least having a lot of Red Sox fans are envision a scenario in the playoffs when you've got off days built in which could lessen the rest where you go. Wagner Koppel bombard Okajima that's a pretty formidable combination of that yet there are things that we know to be true in regards to how they're going to approach that we might. Days like today obviously not available if you see him get up in the bullpen. And they don't bring him in then he's knocking back up for a second time like Daniel Bard did last night. But there are hugely -- cursing signs in regards to Wagner going forward. He talked a little bit today about his fastball how he has some movement on his fastball that may -- you expect. And the command of his breaking ball was a lot better than he thought as well. So I think that he's encouraged he's have a great time he said this is the best bullpen he'd ever thrown in. He understands that the situation that the situation actually might be great for him instances there's no pressure that you become one of the it was only the ninth time in his career -- in the seventh inning. That he's not complain one bit he's hiding it. Talking to him and listen to the words he's saying itself ladies have a lot of fun. Two starts ago for Josh Beckett we said the chance to Silva to that starts in a row last start. What are the chances of three bad starts. What are the chances it's going to have a -- starts ago all you know we look back at when he officially turned things around back and be in the season and into the may fifth start. And it was a gradual process there wasn't this league came out and threw eight innings shadow ball. It was a gradual process to become the dominant guy that we -- for those couple months and I suspect that it's going to be case little bit here. Where there are some tweaks his delivery. That they had to make you had to get that juicy road get the control ought to get the life back that it everything like that. But you know yes it's -- taken steps in the right direction because while you have the time to do that the spring. Now we're here in the crunch drive. And the thing is is that we all know John they needed a good Josh Beckett -- yours that's the one advantage they have -- other team. Beckett Lester combination is no question about. -- significant percentage of people took a long time last year -- The rest of the country to believe in the Tampa Bay Rays they proved everybody wrong now the rays are on the brink of really being out of it. For all intents and purposes partly out of it or they honors there's still some magic left I mean last night it was -- them in and we said that going in that you want to put any songs sign out there against Jon Lester in game of that magnitude they could win denying come right back and say they're right back -- but the reality is that. This is a pretty huge gap to do and it goes the same. Perception that we have with the Yankees is I would say the rays catching -- departed due because the Red Sox are very good team. Same thing with the Yankees you know -- class because they're very good team. This is any kind of flu confirmed the Red Sox being. I had in the in the news in the chase here and I still think the rays are good enough this year yet eyebrow thing though is -- thanks John remember you can hear that conversation.

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