NEW YORK — Yankee Stadium had gone so quiet that when Joe Kelly took one step into the dugout and slapped his manager five, the smack could be heard in the second deck.
Forget the blistering fastball that got all the attention, it was the slider to finish off Aaron Judge on Tuesday night that really showcased Kelly’s big-moment value in the Red Sox bullpen.
He’s not the closer, he’s not the set-up man, and he’s not the undrafted lefty specialist who has become one of the roster’s best feel-good stories. Kelly’s the other guy, the one who didn’t have a defined role out of spring training, who has emerged as a crucial middle-inning force.