BOSTON - This is supposed to be the year that Manny Delcarmen blossoms into a top-flight setup man, a dominant seventh- or eighth-inning guy who can form an airtight bridge between the starters and the dynamic closing duo of Hideki Okajima and Jonathan Papelbon.

There have been signs that, at the age of 26, Delcarmen has arrived.

Unfortunately, there have been too many, such as last night, when he has been a very shaky “bridge.”

The right-hander, called in to start the eighth inning with the Sox ahead, 1-0, threw only two pitches, a 94 mph fastball for a called strike and a 93 mph fastball that Adam Lind ripped into center field for a single.

Francona wasted no time. He lifted Delcarmen and brought in Okajima.

“We were going to leave Manny in until someone got on base,” said manager Terry Francona. “Unfortunately, it was the first batter.”

A frustrated Delcarmen slammed his glove on the bench when he reached the dugout and flung an empty plastic bucket back onto the field, most likely not so much irritated with Francona but with himself.

When Okajima allowed Lind to score, it marked the fourth straight outing in which Delcarmen was charged with at least a run. Delcarmen has pitched in 14 games, and in seven of them he has given up at least a run.

He has allowed 7 of 12 inherited runners to score. In his 14 appearances, the leadoff batter has reached base against him six times.

Delcarmen’s earned-run average now is 6.17 (8 earned runs, 11 2/3 innings). Over his last four outings he has given up 5 earned runs on 5 hits in a total of only 2 innings. Delcarmen has worked in three games against Toronto and has been raked for 5 hits and 3 earned runs in a total of 2 innings, including a grand slam to Frank Thomas on April 6 that tacked on three earned runs to Josh Beckett’s line that day.