2K19: Closer and Bullpen

[harmon]

Dyson today against the Marlins, with a three run lead: single, K, ground rule double, sac fly, single, single, pulled with two runs in and the tying run on second. Moronta in to close it with a K.

Watson pitched the 7th, Blach the 8th.

Melancon whistling a tune in the pen.

[Sour Masher]

Melancon whistling a tune in the pen.

Why does Will Smith get no consideration? Dude has been great.

[Judge Jude]

I think Bochy doesn't want to overstress his 2 top healthy guys - Melancon and WSmith - before they are ready.

it's a long season. monitor.

[madducks]

Mark Melancon gets his first save of 2018 with a scoreless ninth inning.

[harmon]

Mark Melancon gets his first save of 2018 with a scoreless ninth inning.

Have a feeling there will be many more of these.

[Hornsby]

Have a feeling there will be many more of these.

With that arm? Not so sure...there's a reason that Bochy didn't just name him the guy right aray.

[Hornsby]

Apparently, Hunter Strickland is a dumbass with a long memory...

They say elephants never forget. And apparently, neither does Hunter Strickland.



The Giants closer boasts a high-90s fastball, but what you won’t find on the scouting report is that he also has a photographic memory when it comes to players who have wronged him (at least in his mind). Flashback to the 2014 playoffs when Strickland served up a pair of tape-measure home runs to Bryce Harper in the Giants’ first-round series against Washington. Rather than take the L and move on, Strickland waited three whole years to plot his revenge, plunking Harper when the Nats returned to San Francisco in 2017. Naturally Harper charged the mound (he also threw his helmet, though not accurately), leading to one of the more spirited brawls in recent memory.



Strickland’s beef with Harper appears to be dormant, but that doesn’t mean he’s turned over a new leaf. Far from it. You’ll be relieved to hear that our man Hunter is still beefing with the best of them. Enter 24-year-old Lewis Brinson, a bright-eyed and bushy-tailed Marlins outfielder who was pretty jazzed to hit a game-tying sac fly off Strickland last week in what ended up being a 16-inning win for the Giants.



As fate would have it, Brinson and Strickland crossed paths again Monday night in San Francisco. As retribution for showing him up a week earlier, Strickland threw one high and tight at his new nemesis. Unfazed, Brinson returned the favor with a game-tying single, handing Strickland his fourth blown save of the year. Words were exchanged—many of the unprintable, four-letter variety—as the closer left the field, bested once again by the proud owner of MLB’s lowest on-base percentage. Deciding to embrace his inner Kevin Brown (or LeBron James, if you’d prefer a more current reference), a supremely frustrated Strickland punched a door, leaving him with a broken hand.



Hey man, it happens. We all lose our cool from time to time. Just ask Phil Mickelson. But Strickland seems to fly off the handle more than most and now he’s paying a steep price for it. The right-hander faces a 6-8 week recovery, putting him out at least through the All-Star break and probably for much longer. San Francisco is in the midst of a pennant race in a tighter than expected NL West—why would he waste energy feuding with Brinson, a .181 hitter on a last-place team? Strickland just couldn’t let it go.



“I don’t think I have an anger problem, but sometimes I let my emotions get the best of me,” Strickland admitted Thursday in his first remarks since the incident. The 29-year-old said he planned to apologize to his teammates, but that won’t make his hand heal any faster. Now minus a shutdown closer, Giants skipper Bruce Bochy will be tasked with restoring order in the ninth inning. Sam Dyson got the first crack at replacing Strickland earlier this week but was yanked after allowing hits to four of the six batters he faced on Wednesday.

From Rotoworld...

[Msaint]

Brinson "showed him up" with...a...sac fly?

What a dipshit.

[The Dane]

What a dipshit.

Yup. This is why I was surprised Bochy went to him when they needed a closer. I would expect him to be playing elsewhere in 2019.

[overkill94]

Is there any good reason Romo has been getting the chances lately in TB? Chaz Roe has been the much better pitcher all year, especially in the last month - 12 IP, 0 R, 4 H, 4 BB, 13 K. Is it a veteran thing? Using Roe as a fireman instead?

[rhd]

Complete meltdown in process for Zack Britton tonite. Handed a 4-run lead in the 9th, he's given up 4 runs while getting only 1 out w a runner on 3B. It's not a blown save because it wasnt even a save situation. Not so good for him getting the closer job back soon.

Edit: O'Day came on to strike out Flowers and get Swanson to fly out to preserve the tie. The only out Britton got was Freeman getting thrown out at the plate trying to score the winning run.

The Braves used Winkler for the save in the top of 9th and he was almost as bad as Britton, giving up a 2-run lead and then was taken out but 2 more runs were charged to him after he left. But at least he got a K.

Edit #2: With how things are going this year, you just knew that the O's would end up losing this one, right? WRONG. They managed to win 10-7 in 15 inn.

[rhd]

Another fantastic job by the Brewers' pen tonite. 4 different guys (Hader, Barnes, Jeffress, Knebel) each w a perfect inning and a total of 8 Ks. Knebel ended up getting the win after a walkoff HR in the 9th.

[rhd]

Tim Hill w the save opp tonite for KC. He pitched a perfect 9th for the save. McCarthy had already pitched the 6th. Who to pick up now: McCarthy or Hill?

[madducks]

Romo has now gotten the last 5 save opps for the Rays. He only blew the save against the Astros (doesn't everyone?) and seems to be the unofficial closer now.

[overkill94]

Tim Hill w the save opp tonite for KC. He pitched a perfect 9th for the save. McCarthy had already pitched the 6th. Who to pick up now: McCarthy or Hill?

Hard to say when it's a tie game. McCarthy actually pitched the 7th so you could surmise that he was the first one called upon when things were super tight, Grimm was next, then Hill was just the next one up with lefties coming up.