Closing it Out

I love the idea. I really do. The concept of using your closer in situations other than starting the ninth inning with the lead is a long time coming. It really makes too much sense. I always scratch my head when someone other than the "closer" is used to get out of a bases loaded jam in the eighth inning of a tie game, only to bring in your best pitcher to start off the ninth when your team has grabbed a three run lead.

Which situation do YOU think requires your best pitcher? By using the closer in this manner, aren't you pretty much admitting that saves are some made-up statistic and you're just using a player with the expressed purpose of inflating his numbers in that statistic? If you trust the guy to escape a jam in the eighth, isn't he your best pitcher?

So, I loved it when Cora said he planned on bringing Kimbrel into games whenever the situation called for it.

I just didn't know that yesterday's situation called for it. A runner on first with two outs in a tie game is an intense situation? Could most any pitcher figure out a way to sneak out of that one? When I first saw Kimbrel trotting to the mound, the first question I had was, why was he even warming up? That situation just screamed of having Kimbrel throw fewer than five pitches, and then go sit down. Sit down for (as it turned out) what could be a long time. That's not an easy thing for any pitcher, let alone one not used to it. Also (as it turned out), perfection clearly wasn't needed. Kimbrel did not blow away the first batter he faced. He actually allowed a double. Really, I bet most pitchers on the staff could have done that or better. Sure, he then struck out Miller to end his self-inflicted threat. But, by then he was in average territory.

Of course, it all worked out since Kimbrel finished the game off in the ninth when the Sox got him the lead. Although, was the awkward use the reason for the singles he gave up to the first two batters?

So, I love the idea. Use Kimbrel whenever he can help you the most, whether it's the ninth inning or the fifth inning.

I just didn't love the implementation yesterday.