By ERIC BENEVIDES

Sports writer

PAWTUCKET --- For a reliever who has saved no more than five games in a season and a total of 15 during his nine-year career, Fernando Cabrera has clearly exceeded expectations as the Pawtucket Red Sox’s closer.
When rookie flamethrower Daniel Bard got called up to the Boston Red Sox on May 10, PawSox managed Ron Johnson moved Cabrera into the closer’s role, and since then, he has flourished and recorded an International League-leading 16 saves in as many opportunities.
With a little more than two months still to go in the regular season, Cabrera could destroy the club record for saves in a season, which was set two years ago when Travis Hughes nailed down 24 games.  
“(The organization) gave me the chance (to close) and I really appreciate it,” remarked Cabrera. “I really enjoy it and like it. My pitching coach and my manager really trust me and believe in the job I can do, and that’s given me a lot of confidence.”
Cabrera, who is in his first season in the organization after signing with the Red Sox as a minor league free agent last Dec. 18, is part of arguably the finest bullpen in the I.L. Not only does it boast a league-best 27 saves in 32 chances, but five relievers currently sport earned run averages under 2.40.
And Cabrera has been the best performer of the bunch. In 26 appearances (34 innings), he has struck out 36 batters, walked 11, and surrendered only 20 hits and four earned runs for a miniscule ERA of 1.06.
“He’s been very impressive,” said Johnson. “What I like about him in that role is that he never backs down. He’s going to go hard at you, and if you beat him, you beat him.”
What also makes Cabrera impressive is that at this time last season, he was rehabbing from right elbow surgery that he underwent seven months earlier.
Cabrera, who was in the Baltimore Orioles organization at the time, was at the end of a month-long stint with the Triple-A Norfolk Tides that saw him log a 0.69 ERA and 13 strikeouts in 13 innings of work.
He eventually joined the O’s and went 2-1 with a 5.40 ERA, no saves, and 31 strikeouts in 22 games (28 1/3 innings) before the team released him on Sept. 5.
“I had some good games and I had some bad,” added Cabrera, who pitched for Puerto Rico in the World Baseball Classic in 2006 and ’09, “but I just wanted to really see if I could come back healthy, get my confidence back after the surgery, and pitch at the same level again.”
And Cabrera hopes to get back to the major-league level with the Red Sox, but in the meantime, he’s working hard and having his best pro season with Pawtucket, one that could land him a spot in next month’s Triple-A All-Star Game in Portland, Ore.
“I want to work on things that I need to do to be a better pitcher,” admitted Cabrera. “I want to keep learning every day and see if I get a chance again to pitch in the big leagues.”
Cabrera was drafted as a starting pitcher in the 10th round of the 1999 MLB Draft by the Cleveland Indians, who eventually converted him to a reliever midway through the ’03 campaign, and promoted him to the big-league club at the end of the ’04 season.
Cabrera split the 2004-06 seasons with the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons and the Indians. In his stints with Cleveland, he appeared in 94 games and a career-high and team-best 51 games in ’06.
He started the ’07 season with the Tribe, but was released on Aug. 1, picked up by the Orioles, and split the rest of the month with the Tides and O’s.
While Cabrera enjoyed his time with the Indians and Orioles, he has savored his season in his new organization and his new role out of the bullpen.
“This organization has treated me really well and with a lot of respect,” said Cabrera. “I really enjoy playing here in Pawtucket with my teammates and coaches, and hopefully, we’ll keep having the same season we’re having so far.”