Justin Masterson shows up big

We mentioned a while ago that Justin Masterson was being converted into a reliever and last night was his first relief appearance in a major league game. He definitely didn't disappoint. Masterson came on in relief of Buchholz. There were 2 men on base and only 1 out. He proceeded to strike out the next 2 guys he faced to end the inning (one was a righty, one was a lefty.) Justin went another 2 innings, striking out one more guy without allowing a hit or issuing a walk. The poise and maturity of Masterson is just astounding. He's only 21 years-old, began the year in Double-A Portland, started games for Boston, got converted to a reliever, had only a few innings in Pawtucket to hone the skill, and then was thrown directly into the fire against Seattle. Obviously Justin Masterson isn't going to become the next K-Rod but he could definitely be one of the missing links in the bullpen. 7 more days until the trade deadline..