After a rough start, bullpen couldn't provide any relief

Justin Masterson was part of a bullpen quartet that allowed eight runs in 6 1/3 innings of work. (Bill Greene/Globe Staff)

On a night when the Red Sox desperately needed their bullpen to perform, the group proved to be flatter than Tim Wakefield's knuckleball.

Wakefield gave up five runs in only 2 2/3 innings, forcing manager Terry Francona to utilize every available arm in his bullpen except closer Jonathan Papelbon during the 13-4 thrashing at the hands of the Rays in Game 4 of the American League Championship Series at Fenway Park.

Tampa Bay leads the best-of-seven series, three games to one, and the members of the Sox' bullpen know that Boston's back is against the wall.

"We're all about the clichés right now," said Mike Timlin. "Something about a big girl and something about the last man making the last out. We're going to take [today] off, get some rest. Some guys will come in and work out, some guys won't, and they'll just get away and clear their heads. We'll come back [tomorrow] and come out firing."

The Sox' relievers didn't come out firing last night. Four of them - Justin Masterson, Manny Delcarmen, Javy Lopez, and Timlin - combined to give up eight runs (all earned) on eight hits with five walks and five strikeouts.

That's in stark contrast to how the bullpen had fared previously in the ALCS. Take away Paul Byrd's performance in long relief during Game 3 (four earned runs over 4 1/3 innings); the five remaining relievers combined to give up just one run on three hits over six innings. Of course, that lone run was the one surrendered by Timlin in the 11-inning loss in Game 2.

But no one could stop the bleeding last night.

"You do the best you can with damage control, but it didn't work out obviously," said Lopez, who wasn't charged with any runs but allowed three inherited runners to score as Tampa Bay broke open the game with a five-run sixth.

"Good pitches were made, but they got some hits today," added Lopez. "That's what you try to do: damage control. You want to eat up as many innings as you can, you don't want everybody to be taxed coming into just as big of a game [tomorrow]."

Francona had to go to the bullpen early after Wakefield surrendered five runs. Masterson entered with two out in the third and went 2 2/3 innings, allowing one run.

"We warmed him up in the first," said Francona. "He was the guy that was hot, and he was the guy at that point we felt like could give us two plus, get us to a manageable part of the game.

"Again, it's not a very good situation and he did a pretty good job. But again, we were in a difficult spot."

After Masterson, the wheels came off for the bullpen. Delcarmen took the baton in the sixth and struck out the first batter he faced, but gave up two hits, three walks, and two runs before departing with the bases loaded. Lopez, who allowed 12 of 46 inherited runners to score in the regular season, relieved and allowed all three men on base to score as the Rays stretched their lead to 11-1.

Timlin equaled Mariano Rivera's record of 25 appearances in League Championship Series games when he entered in the eighth, but it wasn't a memorable moment. Timlin surrendered two runs on two hits and a walk as the Rays' lead ballooned to 13-2.

The giant deficit meant the Sox never got to Papelbon.

The bullpen will likely be needed again in Game 5 as the start goes to Daisuke Matsuzaka, who has struggled to work late into games.

"We expect a great outing, just as he does of himself," Lopez said of Matsuzaka. "In one sense, we were here last year. We don't like to be, but we're here. Hopefully, we can get a good start again like in Game 1, then go back down to Tampa, where I don't think we're afraid of going down there. It would have helped our chances by winning a couple up here."

Despite the struggles, Timlin said the group needs to be resilient.

"You lose by one run, you still lose," he said. "Whether it's 10 runs, 11 runs, or 9 runs. Whatever. You still lose. It comes to the point where the game's over, you just got to let it go. You look at it like this: They got all their hits and runs. Now it's our turn. The next two or three times, it's our turn."

Chris Forsberg can be reached at cforsberg@boston.com