Post by Fish Troll on Apr 23, 2007 13:15:09 GMT -5
Closers finding trouble
Many high-profile stoppers struggling in early going of 2007
By Jim Molony / MLB.com
April hasn't been kind to closers.
Always one of the more demanding roles, the casualty rate at the position spiked during the first three weeks of the season, as several closers either went on the disabled list, lost their jobs or found their situations less secure because of disappointing performances.
The disabled list has already claimed Toronto closer B.J. Ryan (strained left elbow), Kansas City's Octavio Dotel (left oblique strain) and Florida's Jorge Julio (right calf strain), though the Marlins right-hander had lost the closer job after giving up 12 earned runs on 15 hits in 11 walks in 5 2/3 innings. Ryan had blown two of five save opportunities and was 0-2 with a 12.46 ERA when he was sidelined.
Injury hasn't been the sole culprit for closers experiencing rough Aprils.
Mariano Rivera of the Yankees has yet to convert a save opportunity after blowing his first two chances against Oakland and Boston, respectively. In his most recent setback, Rivera failed to hold a Yankee lead in the eighth inning Friday at Fenway Park.
"He's been so successful it's a shock when he doesn't finish a game with [New York] leading," Yankees manager Joe Torre said. "But we know he'll be all right."
Rivera is 1-2 with an 8.44 ERA. In 5 1/3 innings the right-hander has allowed six hits and five runs. He allowed only 15 earned runs during all of 2006, and entered the season with a 2.28 career ERA in 721 career games.
Against the Red Sox, Rivera said the hits he allowed came on cutters and that he didn't have a problem with any of them.
"Things like that hurt, definitely," Rivera said. "You're trying to search what's going on and what happened, and you don't find answers. You just keep going. It's frustrating and it's tough, but at the same time, you just have to move on and get the next opportunity."
Rivera's struggles in back-to-back save opportunities surprised his teammates.
"You just don't expect it," Yankees starter Andy Pettitte said. "He comes in and you think the game is over, no matter what situation. It makes you realize the guy is a human being and sometimes guys are going to get hits off him. He makes it look so easy that you don't believe that this can happen. It makes it shocking."
Houston's Brad Lidge lost his closer's job to right-hander Dan Wheeler during the first homestand of the season. Lidge gave up a game-tying home run on Opening Day to Pittsburgh's Xavier Nady with two outs in the ninth inning, then gave up five runs (two earned) in two-thirds of an inning against St. Louis on April 8.
Astros manager Phil Garner later announced Lidge would be working in the middle innings instead of closing. Lidge had four consecutive scoreless appearances since his demotion, then entered Friday night's game at Milwaukee in a non-save situation and saw the Brewers whittle Houston's four-run lead to one while Lidge was on the mound.
"He's actually pitched pretty good when he's been in there [since leaving the closer's role]," Garner said. "He's had three pretty good outings and then I would say [Friday] night was not a good one."
Lidge, 1-0 with a 10.13 ERA and 0-for-1 in save opportunities, has walked more (seven) than he's struck out (four) for the first time in his career.
"He's got excellent stuff," Garner said. "He just needs to get more consistent throwing strikes and getting ahead of the hitters. The walks have hurt."
Lidge said he hasn't lost confidence and is convinced he will work his way back to the consistently successful form he demonstrated previously.
"The bottom line is that I have to pitch well," he said. "There's no other way around it. I pitch well and I place them in a position where they have to look at me again as the closer."
Through Sunday, Major League relievers had converted 143 of 212 save opportunities, or 67.5 percent, which is actually a slightly better success rate than the league average for 2006 (65.8 percent). And yet one-third of MLB's 30 teams are dealing with injuries or performance issues concerning their closers.
Since Julio was taken out of the closer role, Marlins manager Fredi Gonzalez has been going with matchups in determining his closer. Rookie Henry Owens, right-hander Kevin Gregg and left-hander Taylor Tankersley are among the closer candidates on the Florida roster.
Philadelphia's Tom Gordon (0-1, 5.68, 3-for-5 in save opportunities) and has allowed 14 baserunners in 6 1/3 innings. The veteran right-hander was successful on 34 of 39 save attempts last season.
Washington's Chad Cordero (0-0, 5.79) has blown two of three save opportunities and has allowed 15 hits in 9 1/3 innings.
The pitchers who have filled in for the Royals during Dotel's absence, Joel Peralta (0-2, 8.31, 0-for-3), David Riske (0-2, 5.40, 2-for-3) and Joakim Soria (1-0, 2.89, 2-for-2) have converted five of eight save opportunities.
Cleveland's Joe Borowski is 7-for-7 in save opportunities, but the right-hander has given up nine earned runs in eight innings (10.13 ERA). Borowski's ERA is bloated in large part to a disastrous non-save situation appearance against the Yankees on Thursday in which he allowed six runs on five hits capped by an Alex Rodriguez walk-off homer.
David Weathers (0-2, 2.25, 5-for-6) has emerged as Cincinnati's closer after the Reds considered numerous candidates this spring.
Boston had planned to use Jonathan Papelbon in the rotation this year, but the Red Sox changed their minds during Spring Training and decided to leave Papelbon, who hasn't allowed an earned run this season and is 6-for-6 in save opportunities, in the role he excelled in as a rookie last season.
The other fortunate teams that have gotten through April in good shape, such as Detroit, with Todd Jones (0-0, 1.93, 7-for-8 in save opportunities), Milwaukee's Francisco Cordero (0-0, 0.00, 7-for-7), Tampa Bay's Al Reyes (0-0, 0.00, 6-for-6), Arizona's Jose Valverde (0-1, 1.17, 7-for-8), Bobby Jenks of the Chicago White Sox (1-1, 3.72, 6-for-7), Baltimore's Chris Ray (2-1, 3.38, 6-for-7), Pittsburgh's Salomon Torres (0-1, 4.00, 6-for-8), Minnesota's Joe Nathan (1-1, 3.24, 6-for-6), Francisco Rodriguez of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (0-1, 2.35, 6-for-6), Takashi Saito of the Los Angeles Dodgers (0-0, 1.04, 6-for-6) and Atlanta's Bob Wickman, 1-0, 0.00, 6-for-6).
Closers who have had fewer than five save opportunities but have converted each chance so far include Armando Benitez of the Giants, Huston Street of the A's, Jason Isringhausen of the Cardinals, Ryan Dempster of the Cubs, Brian Fuentes of the Rockies, Trevor Hoffman of the Padres and Billy Wagner of the Mets.
Jim Molony is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
Many high-profile stoppers struggling in early going of 2007
By Jim Molony / MLB.com
April hasn't been kind to closers.
Always one of the more demanding roles, the casualty rate at the position spiked during the first three weeks of the season, as several closers either went on the disabled list, lost their jobs or found their situations less secure because of disappointing performances.
The disabled list has already claimed Toronto closer B.J. Ryan (strained left elbow), Kansas City's Octavio Dotel (left oblique strain) and Florida's Jorge Julio (right calf strain), though the Marlins right-hander had lost the closer job after giving up 12 earned runs on 15 hits in 11 walks in 5 2/3 innings. Ryan had blown two of five save opportunities and was 0-2 with a 12.46 ERA when he was sidelined.
Injury hasn't been the sole culprit for closers experiencing rough Aprils.
Mariano Rivera of the Yankees has yet to convert a save opportunity after blowing his first two chances against Oakland and Boston, respectively. In his most recent setback, Rivera failed to hold a Yankee lead in the eighth inning Friday at Fenway Park.
"He's been so successful it's a shock when he doesn't finish a game with [New York] leading," Yankees manager Joe Torre said. "But we know he'll be all right."
Rivera is 1-2 with an 8.44 ERA. In 5 1/3 innings the right-hander has allowed six hits and five runs. He allowed only 15 earned runs during all of 2006, and entered the season with a 2.28 career ERA in 721 career games.
Against the Red Sox, Rivera said the hits he allowed came on cutters and that he didn't have a problem with any of them.
"Things like that hurt, definitely," Rivera said. "You're trying to search what's going on and what happened, and you don't find answers. You just keep going. It's frustrating and it's tough, but at the same time, you just have to move on and get the next opportunity."
Rivera's struggles in back-to-back save opportunities surprised his teammates.
"You just don't expect it," Yankees starter Andy Pettitte said. "He comes in and you think the game is over, no matter what situation. It makes you realize the guy is a human being and sometimes guys are going to get hits off him. He makes it look so easy that you don't believe that this can happen. It makes it shocking."
Houston's Brad Lidge lost his closer's job to right-hander Dan Wheeler during the first homestand of the season. Lidge gave up a game-tying home run on Opening Day to Pittsburgh's Xavier Nady with two outs in the ninth inning, then gave up five runs (two earned) in two-thirds of an inning against St. Louis on April 8.
Astros manager Phil Garner later announced Lidge would be working in the middle innings instead of closing. Lidge had four consecutive scoreless appearances since his demotion, then entered Friday night's game at Milwaukee in a non-save situation and saw the Brewers whittle Houston's four-run lead to one while Lidge was on the mound.
"He's actually pitched pretty good when he's been in there [since leaving the closer's role]," Garner said. "He's had three pretty good outings and then I would say [Friday] night was not a good one."
Lidge, 1-0 with a 10.13 ERA and 0-for-1 in save opportunities, has walked more (seven) than he's struck out (four) for the first time in his career.
"He's got excellent stuff," Garner said. "He just needs to get more consistent throwing strikes and getting ahead of the hitters. The walks have hurt."
Lidge said he hasn't lost confidence and is convinced he will work his way back to the consistently successful form he demonstrated previously.
"The bottom line is that I have to pitch well," he said. "There's no other way around it. I pitch well and I place them in a position where they have to look at me again as the closer."
Through Sunday, Major League relievers had converted 143 of 212 save opportunities, or 67.5 percent, which is actually a slightly better success rate than the league average for 2006 (65.8 percent). And yet one-third of MLB's 30 teams are dealing with injuries or performance issues concerning their closers.
Since Julio was taken out of the closer role, Marlins manager Fredi Gonzalez has been going with matchups in determining his closer. Rookie Henry Owens, right-hander Kevin Gregg and left-hander Taylor Tankersley are among the closer candidates on the Florida roster.
Philadelphia's Tom Gordon (0-1, 5.68, 3-for-5 in save opportunities) and has allowed 14 baserunners in 6 1/3 innings. The veteran right-hander was successful on 34 of 39 save attempts last season.
Washington's Chad Cordero (0-0, 5.79) has blown two of three save opportunities and has allowed 15 hits in 9 1/3 innings.
The pitchers who have filled in for the Royals during Dotel's absence, Joel Peralta (0-2, 8.31, 0-for-3), David Riske (0-2, 5.40, 2-for-3) and Joakim Soria (1-0, 2.89, 2-for-2) have converted five of eight save opportunities.
Cleveland's Joe Borowski is 7-for-7 in save opportunities, but the right-hander has given up nine earned runs in eight innings (10.13 ERA). Borowski's ERA is bloated in large part to a disastrous non-save situation appearance against the Yankees on Thursday in which he allowed six runs on five hits capped by an Alex Rodriguez walk-off homer.
David Weathers (0-2, 2.25, 5-for-6) has emerged as Cincinnati's closer after the Reds considered numerous candidates this spring.
Boston had planned to use Jonathan Papelbon in the rotation this year, but the Red Sox changed their minds during Spring Training and decided to leave Papelbon, who hasn't allowed an earned run this season and is 6-for-6 in save opportunities, in the role he excelled in as a rookie last season.
The other fortunate teams that have gotten through April in good shape, such as Detroit, with Todd Jones (0-0, 1.93, 7-for-8 in save opportunities), Milwaukee's Francisco Cordero (0-0, 0.00, 7-for-7), Tampa Bay's Al Reyes (0-0, 0.00, 6-for-6), Arizona's Jose Valverde (0-1, 1.17, 7-for-8), Bobby Jenks of the Chicago White Sox (1-1, 3.72, 6-for-7), Baltimore's Chris Ray (2-1, 3.38, 6-for-7), Pittsburgh's Salomon Torres (0-1, 4.00, 6-for-8), Minnesota's Joe Nathan (1-1, 3.24, 6-for-6), Francisco Rodriguez of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (0-1, 2.35, 6-for-6), Takashi Saito of the Los Angeles Dodgers (0-0, 1.04, 6-for-6) and Atlanta's Bob Wickman, 1-0, 0.00, 6-for-6).
Closers who have had fewer than five save opportunities but have converted each chance so far include Armando Benitez of the Giants, Huston Street of the A's, Jason Isringhausen of the Cardinals, Ryan Dempster of the Cubs, Brian Fuentes of the Rockies, Trevor Hoffman of the Padres and Billy Wagner of the Mets.
Jim Molony is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20070423&content_id=1925470&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb
....and Florida's Jorge Julio (right calf strain), though the Marlins right-hander had lost the closer job after giving up 12 earned runs on 15 hits in 11 walks in 5 2/3 innings.....
"right calf strain", bullshit!
