It’s inevitable: John Farrell will make a decision with his bullpen that backfires. He will get crushed for it, and he will, in all likelihood, continue to survive as Red Sox manager.
Give the 54-year-old some credit — he’s managed the you-know-what out of the Red Sox bullpen through the first two games of the season.
With Carson Smith out until June recovering from Tommy John surgery and Tyler Thornburg still waiting for his inflamed shoulder to get back to full strength, Farrell is working with a thin group. It’s a group that hasn’t allowed a run yet, with Farrell pulling the strings among Craig Kimbrel, Matt Barnes, Heath Hembree, Robby Scott and Joe Kelly through a pair of close games.