NEW YORK -- Before the season, Red Sox brass said they hoped the bullpen would work itself out over the first month. There's little question that the best-case scenario would have been for Takashi Saito to lock down the eighth-inning role and the backup closer role behind Jonathan Papelbon.

But Saito hasn't been as lights-out as the Sox might have liked, and the team enters the second month of the season with Saito and his 5.00 ERA still just one among several options as a backup closer. Right-handers have tattooed Saito for a .444 average and two home runs, and he has blown one of his three save opportunities.

Speaking about the possibility of using Saito to close Tuesday night's game, manager Terry Francona said Saito -- nicknamed Sammy -- wouldn't necessarily be the only option to close things out.

Hideki Okajima is a possibility, as is Manny Delcarmen, something that might have been a long-shot before the season.

"It probably depends on where we're at," he said. "We have Saito and Oki and Manny Delcarmen. Manny gives us that strikeout, same with Oki. So it probably depends on how we would get to that.

"Hopefully we'll have a chance to get to that situation. But depending on how, we could flip flop them or use Sammy to close the game out. If we have a clean inning in the eighth or seventh and it's right handers, you could certainly see Saito there."

dbarbari@projo.com