Um...Dave? You need to fix the bullpen.
Jim Monaghan
Content Coordinator
The numbers stand out like a sore thumb.
And then there's this.
Monday night's 4-3 loss in extra innings was particularly excruciating, and for a variety of reasons we have seen all too often this season.
For starters, there was a fine Chris Sale performance - 7IP, 1R, 0ER, 3H, 1BB, 10K - wasted. For another, Sandy Leon's defensive regression continued with a pair of throwing errors and the inability to block balls thrown in the dirt.
There was also a dumb base running mistake by Brock Holt who ran through a stop sign in the bottom of the ninth that changed second and third with two out into him being tagged out at the plate on an inning-ending play that wasn't even remotely close.
And then there was Matt Barnes.
His ninth inning was instantly forgettable with three straight one-out hits leading to a pair of Texas runs.
And it's not just last night. In his last nine outings, covering a span of 7.1 innings, Barnes has allowed eight earned runs. That translates into a 9.82 ERA.
Craig Kimbrel is obviously no longer available, and quite honestly it was obvious that the Red Sox had lost faith in him by October last year.
There's talk of putting Nathan Eovaldi in the closer role when he returns later this month. As long as it's medically sound to do so, the Red Sox could do a lot worse.
Like what we saw Monday night.
Click here to find more by Jim Monaghan on Red Sox Life. Follow him on twitter - @Monaghan21.
Content Coordinator
The numbers stand out like a sore thumb.
Ryan Brasier, Matt Barnes, Marcus Walden and Brandon Workman have a combined 2.42 ERA, 0.94 WHIP, and 11.26 K/9 in innings six through eight. In the ninth inning, they have a combined 4.32 ERA, a 1.32 WHIP, and a 10.80 K/9. The ERA essentially doubles with the same guys.— Jared Carrabis (@Jared_Carrabis) June 11, 2019
And then there's this.
MLB ranks for Red Sox relievers in innings 7-8: 3.38 ERA (3rd), 1.14 WHIP (2nd), 10.30 K/9 (1st).— Jared Carrabis (@Jared_Carrabis) June 11, 2019
MLB ranks for Red Sox relievers in the 9th inning: 6.12 ERA (28th), 1.64 WHIP (27th), 1.44 HR/9 (20th).
Dave, you need a closer, my man.
Monday night's 4-3 loss in extra innings was particularly excruciating, and for a variety of reasons we have seen all too often this season.
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| Photo courtesy of USA Today |
There was also a dumb base running mistake by Brock Holt who ran through a stop sign in the bottom of the ninth that changed second and third with two out into him being tagged out at the plate on an inning-ending play that wasn't even remotely close.
And then there was Matt Barnes.
His ninth inning was instantly forgettable with three straight one-out hits leading to a pair of Texas runs.
And it's not just last night. In his last nine outings, covering a span of 7.1 innings, Barnes has allowed eight earned runs. That translates into a 9.82 ERA.
Craig Kimbrel is obviously no longer available, and quite honestly it was obvious that the Red Sox had lost faith in him by October last year.
There's talk of putting Nathan Eovaldi in the closer role when he returns later this month. As long as it's medically sound to do so, the Red Sox could do a lot worse.
Like what we saw Monday night.
Click here to find more by Jim Monaghan on Red Sox Life. Follow him on twitter - @Monaghan21.
