Open main menu
Home
Random
Recent changes
Special pages
Community portal
Preferences
About Wikipedia
Disclaimers
Incubator escapee wiki
Search
User menu
Talk
Dark mode
Contributions
Create account
Log in
Editing
Relief pitcher
(section)
Warning:
You are not logged in. Your IP address will be publicly visible if you make any edits. If you
log in
or
create an account
, your edits will be attributed to your username, along with other benefits.
Anti-spam check. Do
not
fill this in!
==Starting pitchers as relievers== Between their scheduled starts in the rotation, a starting pitcher can be used on short rest for the bullpen. They are sometimes used as relievers when the stakes are higher, such as a game that could decide the division title or an elimination (winner-take all) playoff game. Currently, starters are typically used in relief situations either early in the postseason prior to their scheduled rotation start, or late in the postseason after their last scheduled start (often with "the ultimatum of a series clincher"). However, the [[2018 Boston Red Sox]] under [[Alex Cora]] managed their pitching rotation such that a starter was readily available in the bullpen every playoff game.<ref name="espn.com">{{Cite web | url=http://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/25024544/boston-red-sox-starters-won-world-series-bullpen |title = Red Sox starters won the World Series -- from the bullpen|date = October 29, 2018}}</ref> Regarded as an "almost universal truth in baseball", "almost every starting pitcher would be better in relief".<ref name="espn.com"/> However, a starter may not necessarily be best used as a "fireman" (to stop a rally) since "the conventional wisdom is that itβs unwise to bring a starter in for a relief appearance with men already on base; starting pitchers take longer to warm up than relievers and tend to be most comfortable when coming in at the start of an inning with the bases empty".<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://www.theringer.com/mlb-playoffs/2019/10/31/20941371/houston-astros-world-series-loss-aj-hinch-zack-greinke-gerrit-cole |title = A.J. Hinch Lost His Managerial Magic, and the Astros Lost the World Series|date = October 31, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web | url=https://www.si.com/mlb/2019/11/04/nationals-astros-world-series-key-moments |title = Inside the Moments That Flipped the World Series| date=November 4, 2019 }}</ref> A good example of starters in relief was in the deciding Game 6 of the [[2010 NLCS]], where the [[San Francisco Giants]] bullpen utilized two starters as well as three regular relievers to get seven scoreless innings.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.espn.com/blog/sweetspot/post/_/id/5974/giants-just-good-enough-which-is-plenty |title=Giants just good enough, which is plenty |date=October 24, 2010 |access-date=2016-03-11 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160312070254/http://espn.go.com/blog/sweetspot/post/_/id/5974/giants-just-good-enough-which-is-plenty |archive-date=2016-03-12 }}][{{cite web |url=https://www.espn.com/mlb/playoffs/2010/matchup/_/teams/giants-phillies |title=2010 NLCS: San Francisco Giants vs. Philadelphia Phillies - MLB Playoffs |access-date=2016-03-11 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303235805/http://espn.go.com/mlb/playoffs/2010/matchup/_/teams/giants-phillies |archive-date=2016-03-03 }}</ref> In Game 6 of the [[2010 ALCS]], manager [[Joe Girardi]] was criticized for "managing by formula" in not calling upon ace [[CC Sabathia]] and instead going to reliever [[David Robertson (baseball)|David Robertson]] who surrendered several runs that put the game out of reach for the [[New York Yankees]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.espn.com/mlb/columns/story?columnist=matthews_wallace&id=5716305|title=Matthews: Girardi sank season in fifth inning|date=October 23, 2010|website=ESPN.com|access-date=May 7, 2018|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161006151457/http://www.espn.com/mlb/columns/story?id=5716305&columnist=matthews_wallace|archive-date=October 6, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web | url=http://www.espn.com/mlb/playoffs/2010/columns/story?columnist=caple_jim&id=5715890 |title = Caple: Yankees come up flat, fall to Rangers in ALCS|date = October 22, 2010}}</ref> Starter [[Madison Bumgarner]] recorded the longest save in [[World Series]] history, pitching five scoreless innings of relief in a Game 7 3β2 victory of the [[2014 World Series|2014 edition]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://m.mlb.com/news/article/100037776/did-you-know-madison-bumgarner-makes-history|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141101082306/http://m.mlb.com/news/article/100037776/did-you-know-madison-bumgarner-makes-history|url-status=dead|archive-date=November 1, 2014|title=Did you know: Madison Bumgarner makes history|work=Major League Baseball|access-date=December 5, 2015}}</ref> In the [[2018 World Series]], starter [[Nathan Eovaldi]], originally slated to pitch Game 4, was inserted in relief during Game 3 which turned into an 18-inning marathon. In making World Series history, he became the first reliever to throw at least six innings after [[Rick Rhoden]] did so in 1977, while Eovaldi's 97 pitches set the record for the most by a reliever (and also 36 more pitches than [[Rick Porcello]] who had started that game).<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/red_sox/2018/10/nathan_eovaldis_legend_grows_after_amazing_effort |title=Nathan Eovaldi's legend grows after 'amazing' effort |first=Michael |last=Silverman |newspaper=[[Boston Herald]] |date=October 27, 2018 |access-date=October 27, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.mlb.com/news/nathan-eovaldi-a-red-sox-hero-in-game-3/c-299755566|title = Sox inspired by Eovaldi's epic performance|website = [[MLB.com]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2803072-rick-porcello-cried-after-watching-nathan-eovaldis-performance-in-world-series|title = Rick Porcello Cried After Watching Nathan Eovaldi's Performance in World Series|website = [[Bleacher Report]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.mlb.com/news/red-sox-win-2018-world-series-title/c-299876586|title=Team of this century? Sox win 4th title since '04|website=[[MLB.com]]}}</ref> In the clinching Games of the [[2018 NLCS]] and [[2018 World Series]], respectively, aces [[Clayton Kershaw]] (for [[Kenley Jansen]]) and [[Chris Sale]] (for [[Craig Kimbrel]], indeed the other pitcher warming up besides Sale was another starter, [[Nathan Eovaldi]]) pitched the ninth-inning in lieu of their team's regular closer. Neither relief entrance was a high pressure situation as their teams were already leading 5-1 entering the 9th; but it gave Sale the opportunity to get the final outs of the series (Sale also got the first outs of the series when he started the opener).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ocregister.com/2018/10/28/david-price-changes-narrative-becomes-a-playoff-ace-for-red-sox-in-world-series-victory-over-dodgers/|title = David Price changes narrative, becomes a playoff ace for Red Sox in World Series victory over Dodgers|date = October 29, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.mlb.com/news/alex-cora-on-chris-sale-in-relief-in-game-5/c-299872994|title = Sale will only relieve in G5 in 'perfect situation'|website = [[MLB.com]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.salemnews.com/sports/joe-kelly-was-boston-s-unsung-hero-in-the-world/article_951f5576-db6e-11e8-89af-f7c4684326b4.html|title = Joe Kelly was Boston's unsung hero in the World Series| date=October 29, 2018 }}</ref><ref name="espn.com"/>
Edit summary
(Briefly describe your changes)
By publishing changes, you agree to the
Terms of Use
, and you irrevocably agree to release your contribution under the
CC BY-SA 4.0 License
and the
GFDL
. You agree that a hyperlink or URL is sufficient attribution under the Creative Commons license.
Cancel
Editing help
(opens in new window)