Why Brandon Workman should not be in the Red Sox bullpen

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Eric D. Schabell
Contributing Writer

Brandon Workman, a right handed reliever for the Red Sox,, came into the game against the Rockies in the 7th inning on Tuesday night with no outs and imploded.

There was a man at second base after a leadoff double and to work goes Workman. He gave up a single and a walk to load the bases.

Still no outs, not even a hint of an out.

The next hitter lines a two run single. Then a ground out, followed by another hard hit two run single.

With 18 pitches thrown, only 7 for strikes, Workman was taken out of the game.

You can call it a rough outing if you like, but it seems to be the general direction that Workman is taking since we looked at our bullpen options heading into the postseason.

He was coming of an extended rest, having not pitched since September 17th. The manager stated that it was by design due to Workman never having pitched past September in his big league career.

Let us not forget that this is his first season in the big leagues since being drafted in 2010. His ERA has hovered around 4.5 for most of his 19 appearances. They have been a mix of starts and relief efforts. He was looking to become the bridge to the 9th inning where Koji Uehara can take the Red Sox home.

Right now it looks like he is not steady enough to miss bats, something that you really need to have in the postseason, where hitters are not only motivated but locked in as well. We are coming up to hitters that have been the best all season long.

Time to give Workman a rest, let him watch the postseason and learn from his peers. He will be back, he will be better next year. There is no shortage of right handed pitching in the bullpen, so make the call.

Workman should not be in the Red Sox bullpen for the postseason.

Post a comment or via twitter @ericschabell with your thoughts.

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