
As the Globe's Peter Abraham points out, Bard has cobbled together the longest scoreless appearance streak in Red Sox history—21 outings. The availability of what is—functionally—closer #1 and closer # 2 is a huge bonus for Terry Francona. And he has used that bonus with great frequency and success this year. Opposing batters are hitting only .108 during the 21-game run and he has now added a 'change-up slider' to his repertoire. So, after you weather his 100-mph fastball, you just might see an 81-mph slurve. Good luck.
With Papelbon's possible Boras-induced departure next year, at least we know we have a legitimate closer-in-waiting in Daniel Bard.