The Strop experiment needs to end...

[brooks1083]

It actually didn't turn out the way I expected. I was thinking wild pitch or 2 BBs.

[atomic]

It is a matter of leverage.

Just like the last week, you do not bring in your shakiest reliever in the highest leverage situation you can find.

Strop should not be coming into games that:

Are competitive

Are late innings

Have men already on base

This case was all three. You bring Strop in for a clean inning and he blows up you wouldn't have heard a peep from me.

They didn't bring in Gregg in pressure situations last year and Gregg pitched a lot better than Strop.

[crissfan172]

So being a jackbutt somehow reverses time and gets the Orioles a win?

Got it.

MSK

What in the hell are you talking about? He was agreeing with you...in a very sarcastic manner. It's not like he was making fun of you. Geez...

[Can_of_corn]

I would of let Matusz in but I would not of gone to JJ. I agree in general with what you are saying but I would not be using my closer in tie games on the road on June 21rst. There is no way that Strop is pitching in there if it is September.

Well keep in mind I am vehemently opposed to the entire concept of closers so I have no problem using JJ like another other pitcher.

[brianod]

Hunter lost this game. We had the bullpen set up to our advantage with a 2 run lead. Once Kawasaki hit the 2 run homer, our winning the game was a complete longshot. I do think using Strop over Matusz was a mistake but the Jays have had 25+ innings without giving up a run in their bullpen and we had faced 1 reliever and given up 4 of our own.

[sportsfan8703]

It's as simple as this, you have an entire 5 man rotation that at most gives you 5-6 innings every night. Since we now know this maybe we should think about adding another high leverage reliever. We can't keep going through the season not using Macfarland, Strop and Patton in low leverage spots. The way I see it is this team needs another "set up" type pitcher along with a 5th starter to win the division. Our big 4 in our pen get burned out and overexposed.

[eddie83]

Well keep in mind I am vehemently opposed to the entire concept of closers so I have no problem using JJ like another other pitcher.

I understand your position. I don't think closers are bad if you have a good one and we do.

The bottom line is Buck doesn't manage games before we get late in the season like they are "must wins" at all costs. He kept going to O'Day, JJ and Matusz in October as much as possible, he isn't going to do that in June.

[Can_of_corn]

I understand your position. I don't think closers are bad if you have a good one and we do.

The bottom line is Buck doesn't manage games before we get late in the season like they are "must wins" at all costs. He kept going to O'Day, JJ and Matusz in October as much as possible, he isn't going to do that in June.

That is what the expanded rosters in September are for.

[eddie83]

It's as simple as this, you have an entire 5 man rotation that at most gives you 5-6 innings every night. Since we now know this maybe we should think about adding another high leverage reliever. We can't keep going through the season not using Macfarland, Strop and Patton in low leverage spots. The way I see it is this team needs another "set up" type pitcher along with a 5th starter to win the division. Our big 4 in our pen get burned out and overexposed.

In September, Buck can manage this way when the rosters expand. He can and will use all of his arsenal to get through the game. We played great in September of 2011 due to our bullpen, our starters still struggled. I think the first point you made is critical, we need more innings out of our starters, end of story. Tillman only gave us 5 the other day, that is critical.

[atomic]

Also if you can't bring a player in a pressure situation he doesn't belong on team. I would rather have another bench player. If we are down 8 runs let Chris Davis pitch.

[UMDTerrapins]

Don't know if he's going to be part of the bullpen equation this year, but Oliver Drake has gone 6 IP 3 H 1 ER 3 BB 8 K 1.50 ERA since his return from injury at Bowie. Ridiculously small sample size, but he was also pitching very well at Bowie last year before his injury.

[Uli2001]

I'll play along. It's June 21rst, this isn't September. You are going to get your closer up every game it is tied in the 9th on the road? You still need to have a pitcher after the inning. Who finishes the game.

Correct. You save Johnson. But you leave Matusz in there. You are gearing up for an extra-innings game. The fill-in manager seemed too eager to make pitching changes in this game (enthralled with his new toy?)

[sportsfan8703]

Deals I would make without even blinking an eye, just because I've faced facts that we need another Reliever and a Starter to win the division.

1. Cubs- Feldman and Villanueva/Russell for Arrieta, Strop, Wright, Hoes/Avery and maybe T.Wilson/D.Jones

Cubs- Garza and Villanueva/Russell for Arrieta, Strop, Wright, Hoes/Avery and maybe T.Wilson/D.Jones

2. Marlins- Nolasco and Cishek for Arrieta, Strop, Wright, Davies and Hoes/Avery.

[Kerry]

In defense of the why-I'd-never-bring-Strop-into-a-game-with-runners-on-base position, so far this year he's inherited 15 runners and allowed eight of them to score. That includes tonight's game where he inherited two runners but only one could score (barring a home run), given the walk-off situation.

[blid]

Tommy Hunter gave up a home run to the worst offensive player in baseball. They earned that loss.

Yeah, I totally agree with you. Hunter gave a player his first career home run and gave up the Orioles lead. If the Orioles still have the lead, they go to JJ in the 9th. But they don't because of Hunter. Now, should they have put someone else in? Should the Strop experiment be over? Maybe the answer to both those questions is yes but I'm not really peeved at Strop for giving up one hit.