Valentine Takes Some Blame For Bullpen Meltdowns

Bobby Valentine said he has to do a better job of managing his bullpen, getting the right guys in their roles.

I've just got to manage it better, that's all I think. I think we've got the arms out there to do what we have to do. Just get the guys in the right position to do it. Just manage better. I will. I don't think the deck has to be totally shuffled. ... I talked to Alfredo [Sunday] night. Everything happened to quickly. He thinks he's making pretty good pitches. I do, too. Mark was pretty close to finishing that out. [The pitch to Avila] wasn't that bad a pitch. Got to have a little better results and I think we'll have that.

I just have to get the right guys matched up. Give me a little more time and I think I'll be able to do that. There's a lot of information. Trying to get all the information in there. These guys are good players and I think we have good arms out there that will do the job and I think we have good starters who are going to last longer in the game, too. This has been three days of something other than what it's going to be like for this season. I believe.

The Elias Sports Bureau said that Sunday's game was the first time the Red Sox had ever blown multiple-run leads in the ninth inning or later twice in the same game.

Last night's comeback and 4-2 win allowed the team to collectively exhale. The Red Sox had never started consecutive seasons 0-4.

Adrian Gonzalez:

We needed a win, let's be honest. We didn't want to start 0-6 like we did last year and start heading down that road. It was huge.

Valentine:

[Alfredo Aceves] came in, he threw pretty much the same pitches. They were all quality -- up in the zone, away in the zone. His breaking ball was really good. His fastball was crisp. Before the game, he wrote me a little note and talked about trust. I told him I trusted him. He knew he was going to have the ball.

Aceves:

All it said was "trust". Trust. We've got to trust. It's been three games and everything was negative. We stick together. I need to keep that in mind that I have to trust my stuff. For me, for you, you've got to trust what you have.

Bobby the Fifth has been impressed with Dustin Pedroia:

I came here at 12 o'clock and figured nobody would be here, he was already here pacing and he said we had to get the monkey off our back and let's go. He gets a high slider and puts it in the seats. He gets a high fastball and starts a winning rally off of the double. He's a great player.

Pedroia:

I don't know, hopefully it sparked us. I'm just trying to put good at-bats together. This early in the season, everyone's got nerves going and everything. It's hard to settle down and find your rhythm and everything.

Down in Miami, Mark Buehrle cut his pitching hand opening a jar of mayonnaise.

I came in to make a sandwich and they said "You know we have people who can make sandwiches for you." [I said] "I'm a grown man, I can make my own sandwich."

Buehrle said he would make his next start. He had no comment about making any future lunches.