What Is Buck's Plan for Closer?

[Aristotelian]

Brought in Brach after Givens failed to get out of the 7th, only to have Brach serve up the GS. I wonder who would have closed if the O's had held the lead. O'Day pitched the 8th. That would likely have left Asher as the closer if the O's had scored in the 8th. Is Asher our closer? Is it a committee with Brach matching up in the highest leverage spots? 

[Frobby]

I think Buck would have saved O'Day for the 9th if we'd had the lead.     We were losing 8-7 in the bottom of the 8th and there was no guarantee there would be a need for a pitcher to pitch in the 9th, and O'Day hadn't pitched in a week, so Buck used him there instead.    And by the way, he looked real good, getting the Tigers 1-2-3 and striking out two.   Hopefully, he's available to close tonight.

[Ruzious]

Buck's got a problem.  O'Day missed a few days with "shoulder fatigue", Brach's been over-worked, and Givens is having problems, and our lefty's getting hit.  At this point, he almost has to go with whoever's freshest.  

[NickM21]

I feel like there's a certain confidence factor with the entire bullpen when you have a closer who's there to shut it down at the end. You take that away, and it's like everyone else feels the weight on their shoulders all the sudden. Never mind that everyone is fatigued.

[TouchemAll]

Well there is NO Doubt the one time strength of this team the BP

IS NO MORE...

I go back quite a ways with the O's, but wow, I can't remember when our BP blew a 4 run and then a 3 run lead in the same dang game.

Thank you Mr. Davis for saving last nights BP Disaster melt down...

[ChinMusic]

30 minutes ago, Ruzious said:

Buck's got a problem.  O'Day missed a few days with "shoulder fatigue", Brach's been over-worked, and Givens is having problems, and our lefty's getting hit.  At this point, he almost has to go with whoever's freshest.  

Brach really hasn't been overworked though. Last night was his first appearance in over 5 days. He should have been fresher than nearly everyone, aside from O'Day of course.

Bottom line, I simply don't think he has the mental makeup or "chutzpah" if you will for closing or high-leverage situations. Immediately following the grand slam, he retired the next 3 batters rather easily. Once the pressure was gone, he was fine.. 

[TouchemAll]

Why Not Asher? He's the one guy who held his own last night when it counted most.

[TouchemAll]

Just now, ChinMusic said:

Brach really hasn't been overworked though. Last night was his first appearance in over 5 days. He should have been fresher than nearly everyone, aside from O'Day of course.

Bottom line, I simply don't think he has the mental makeup or "chutzpah" if you will for closing or high-leverage situations. Immediately following the grand slam, he retired the next 3 batters rather easily. Once the pressure was gone, he was fine.. 

I like Brach and this isn't to bash him, but I agree with the bottom line.

[ChipTait]

Well, I doubt it will be Donnie Hart.  By my recollection, they've given him four opportunities to earn a save, and he's yet to deliver.  

[ChinMusic]

19 minutes ago, TouchemAll said:

I like Brach and this isn't to bash him, but I agree with the bottom line.

I like Brach as well, and my words aren't meant to demean him or anything. Just a simple observation of how I've seen him perform this year. I really hope that he turns himself around, and sooner rather than later.

[OFFNY]

o

 

In the past week, the Orioles have rarely had the lead heading into the 9th innings of games, so I think that defining/establishing who the "closer" is right now is kind of a moot point until circumstances show otherwise.

With Gausman, Miley, and Tillman all having trouble going past 5 innings, it seems like a sort of free-for-all in the middle and later innings ...... whomever is available and at least relatively fresh gets the ball, and we just wing it from there.

 

o

[sportsfan8703]

I think the OP is right. Buck's plan was to use Brach in the most high leverage role last night. Whether that was the 7th or 9th. If we got through the 7th he would have used O'day and Hart to finish the game. 

Anyone think of this as a good thing?  This means we're playing/leading in a majority of our games. We're kind of a victim of our own success. If the rotation was getting shelled then we'd just be using the shuttle pitchers to eat innings and the the "top 4" would be rested. 

 

[Aristotelian]

I find it hard to believe that it's O'Day, after having been mysteriously "unavailable" last week. I also find it hard to believe that Buck will use Brach "whenever" and just close with whomever is available. It's possible that last night was a one time thing due to Miley being out of the game early and the bases loaded being a high leverage situation (although the decision to warm Brach would have been made before the situation arose). Buck has always had clearly defined roles for people, to a fault, so if Brach is the closer it would have been very much out of character for Buck to use him in that situation last night. Does not appear to be Givens either. 

[Frobby]

4 hours ago, ChinMusic said:

Brach really hasn't been overworked though. Last night was his first appearance in over 5 days. He should have been fresher than nearly everyone, aside from O'Day of course.

Bottom line, I simply don't think he has the mental makeup or "chutzpah" if you will for closing or high-leverage situations. Immediately following the grand slam, he retired the next 3 batters rather easily. Once the pressure was gone, he was fine.. 

He closed his first 4 save opportunities without allowing a baserunner.   I think it's more physical than mental.     

[TINSTAAPP]

4 hours ago, ChinMusic said:

Brach really hasn't been overworked though. Last night was his first appearance in over 5 days. He should have been fresher than nearly everyone, aside from O'Day of course.

Bottom line, I simply don't think he has the mental makeup or "chutzpah" if you will for closing or high-leverage situations. Immediately following the grand slam, he retired the next 3 batters rather easily. Once the pressure was gone, he was fine.. 

Or Brach could be another Jim Johnson and be done as a top reliever after how much Buck overused him last year.