It's time for Bard to step up

Tonight will be Daniel Bard's first start in a Red Sox uniform, and I'm pretty sure that no other 5th pitcher has had to endure this much media attention before even throwing a pitch. From the Red Sox competition in spring training, to the reports the Bobby Valentine wanted him in the bullpen and management didn't. And now with the struggles of the bullpen, Bard's name has been thrown around as the person who should replace Aceves in the back of the bullpen.

The Red Sox need Bard to be able to put all of that behind him as he takes the mound tonight, because make no mistake about it - Daniel Bard is more important to the Red Sox as a starter. With the early season struggles of Josh Beckett and Clay Buchholz on full display it has become abundantly clear that the Red Sox need someone to step up.

We know that the Red Sox are going to score runs. The players are too talented to not have one of the top 5 offenses in all of baseball, but will it be enough if the pitchers can't keep teams in the ballpark every night?

I understand the arguement that the closer's role is too important to not have someone with more experience back there, and of course it doesn't help that Alfredo Aceves literally didn't record an out before last night. But in Septemeber last season we saw first hand how important starting pitching is. If you don't have a good outing from your starter then you won't even have an oppourtunity for you bullpen to blow it.

In an interview before the game yesterday, Bobby Valentine talked about how, realistically, you get 30 games a year that the bullpen will win for you. Well, if Daniel Bard stays healthy then realistically he will start somewhere around 30 games for the Red Sox this season. Those 30 games in which Bard will hopefully go 5+ innings are immeasurably more important than the 30 games he would have the oppourunity to close from the bullpen. Being a starter allows Bard the oppourunity to have a more direct affect on the games outcome.

Now the only question left is if Bard is ready or not? Because no matter the answer - the Red Sox need him to be the first round starter that the selected him as.