An important man in the Boston bullpen and a veteran setup man, Timlin has a good command of his 93-MPH fastball. He also throws a slider and a sinker that have a downward break, inducing a significant number of ground balls. In 2004, Timlin made 76 pitching appearances, the third most in Red Sox history and tied for fourth in American League history. On September 3, he made his 800th major league appearance, becoming only the 29th pitcher in major league history to reach that mark. Timlin made his 1,000th career appearance on August 31, 2007, against the Baltimore Orioles.