This. Fucking. Bullpen.

[SKO]

Little concerned about Grimm lately but it's probably nothing.  Relievers, man.  I was getting all down on Adam Warren and then he got some big outs in the AZ series. 

We'll see how Grimm bounces back. He had two or three stretches last year where he couldn't get anybody out (remember last year's series in Philly?) but rebounded nicely each time. For now it doesn't seem like Joe has him fourth or even fifth in the pecking order behind Rondon/Strop/Warren/Wood.

[Saul Goodman]

The bullpen has displeased Julie DiCaro, who writes:

Sub-optimal, bullpen.

I was away from the TV, but why didn't Lester pitch the 9th?

#Analysis

[Quality Start Machine]

Clayton Richard would have figured out how to face 3 guys and give up 7 runs.

[ChuckD]

We should just have the starters pitch 9 innings every game. Then we wouldn't need a bullpen and we could bring up our young studs like Almora, Happ and Murton.

[WTB...A RING FFS!!]

I'm fucking done with Grimm/Richard. They can just find their own ways home. Their own homes please, not Chicago.

[WTB...A RING FFS!!]

It's about time we add Warren to this list of GTFO relievers. Can he strand ANYONE?

[Canadouche]

Not that I'm at all superstitious, but the bullpen collapse coincided with the moment I turned the game on. After the fourth run bled in, I got the message and am now off to bed.

[Quality Start Machine]

May 21 - 8 appearances ago - was the last time Clayton Richard appeared in a game without allowing a baserunner.

He's fucking putrid.

[SKO]

May 21 - 8 appearances ago - was the last time Clayton Richard appeared in a game without allowing a baserunner.

He's fucking putrid.

On the one hand you could say he's been markedly unlucky. He's allowing a .408 BABIP and he's allowing hard contact on only 16.3% of balls put in play against him, which is really good. He's got an insanely good groundball rate of over 70%. Positive regression should be coming at some point, you'd think.

On the other hand, when you throw a 91 MPH fastball with no movement 81% of the time, get basically no strikeouts, and allow guys to put the ball in play 88% of the time, you're going to give up a shit ton of hits.

He's not as bad as he's been, he's also not good enough.

[SKO]

Sucks

[Eli]

Sucks

The thread title still fits. Just not as originally intended.

[World's #1 Astros Fan]

Sucks

The thread title still fits. Just not as originally intended.

Wait--why is Joel Peralta again?

[SKO]

Sucks

The thread title still fits. Just not as originally intended.

Wait--why is Joel Peralta again?

I said something on twitter about how Joe basically screwed them over by overthinking things and I got some shit for it but I stand by it. I'm not really worried about .158 hitting De Aza's handedness, especially if a 40 year old reliever with shitty stuff and reverse splits is the matchup you want to go with there. I understand not wanting to go to Strop too early (although considering Joe brought him in just one batter later it would have made sense to me to go to him the second Peralta walked De Aza to put a RISP and showed yet again he didn't have anything), but Cahill could get a ground ball, or even Spencer Patton has at least flashed enough major league stuff to go after a crappy pinch hitter and a struggling rookie.

If Lackey had left after five and Joe needed to somehow try to squeeze 12 outs out of this group with Edwards and Grimm presumably unavailable, fine, use Peralta, but in a pretty standard set up situation just go with Cahill or Patton or anyone with any kind of fastball against two shitty hitters and call it a day.

[Quality Start Machine]

Sucks

The thread title still fits. Just not as originally intended.

Wait--why is Joel Peralta again?

I said something on twitter about how Joe basically screwed them over by overthinking things and I got some shit for it but I stand by it. I'm not really worried about .158 hitting De Aza's handedness, especially if a 40 year old reliever with shitty stuff and reverse splits is the matchup you want to go with there. I understand not wanting to go to Strop too early (although considering Joe brought him in just one batter later it would have made sense to me to go to him the second Peralta walked De Aza to put a RISP and showed yet again he didn't have anything), but Cahill could get a ground ball, or even Spencer Patton has at least flashed enough major league stuff to go after a crappy pinch hitter and a struggling rookie.

If Lackey had left after five and Joe needed to somehow try to squeeze 12 outs out of this group with Edwards and Grimm presumably unavailable, fine, use Peralta, but in a pretty standard set up situation just go with Cahill or Patton or anyone with any kind of fastball against two shitty hitters and call it a day.

On the bright side, an 11-game lead gives Joe a fuckload of margin for error. But Jesus fucking Christ, Peralta makes me hope Clayton Richard comes back soon.

[SKO]

Sucks

The thread title still fits. Just not as originally intended.

Wait--why is Joel Peralta again?

I said something on twitter about how Joe basically screwed them over by overthinking things and I got some shit for it but I stand by it. I'm not really worried about .158 hitting De Aza's handedness, especially if a 40 year old reliever with shitty stuff and reverse splits is the matchup you want to go with there. I understand not wanting to go to Strop too early (although considering Joe brought him in just one batter later it would have made sense to me to go to him the second Peralta walked De Aza to put a RISP and showed yet again he didn't have anything), but Cahill could get a ground ball, or even Spencer Patton has at least flashed enough major league stuff to go after a crappy pinch hitter and a struggling rookie.

If Lackey had left after five and Joe needed to somehow try to squeeze 12 outs out of this group with Edwards and Grimm presumably unavailable, fine, use Peralta, but in a pretty standard set up situation just go with Cahill or Patton or anyone with any kind of fastball against two shitty hitters and call it a day.

On the bright side, an 11-game lead gives Joe a fuckload of margin for error. But Jesus fucking Christ, Peralta makes me hope Clayton Richard comes back soon.

Yeah, I get that argument, I don't want him riding Rondon and Strop into the ground trying to win games in June, but that's why I said I'd have even been fine with Patton or whatever. I have a quicker trigger than most, obviously, but Peralta was already released by another team and with the Cubs he'd done nothing other than allow a rocket by Votto that left the yard and one that fortunately found Zobrist's glove. In a situation where they only need to get 9 outs I'd rather just see Joe use the pitchers with the best stuff out there against slapdicks like De Aza rather than get cute about matchups so he has an excuse to use a washed up 40 year old.