BOSTON -- Wondering why the Boston Red Sox trusted William Cuevas, a 25-year-old starting pitcher who was making his major league debut, to get precious outs in the eighth inning of a tie game Thursday against the Tampa Bay Rays?
Consider manager John Farrell's pregame comments on the state of the bullpen.
"We're looking forward to [starter] David [Price] getting to the mound today and doing what he's capable of," Farrell said. "Hopefully that gives some guys another day of recovery out there in the 'pen."
As it turned out, Price gave the Red Sox only 3 2/3 innings, marking only the eighth time in 217 career starts that he failed to finish the fourth inning.