Bullpen Day Sucks!

I’m not sure when the practice began but it’s one I am disgusted by in today’s baseball. The ‘bullpen’ game is such an incredibly pathetic tactic that I think simply shows that a multi-million dollar major league baseball team is abdicating their responsibility to attempt to provide a competitive game. I think all fans that are forced to suffer a ‘bullpen’ game should get their money back since the team they showed up to support decided that in all the money they spend during the season, they can’t afford to roster a starting pitcher. It’s not like the team doesn’t have starters throwing in the minors – often even on the same day as a ‘bullpen’ game – no, it’s the team’s decision to give up before they even step onto the field.

In any case, here we are at game 130 or so of the season and multiple teams are using this new practice to varying levels of success and I am saddened that my Angels are one of them. The team planned on having a 6 man rotation at the start of the season to provide support for Shohei Ohtani’s movement from Japan to the MLB but now they’ve barely got 4 starters and they’re using a ‘bullpen day’. It’s not like the team ever chose a closer for the season – no, the bullpen is just a mish-mash of essentially middle relievers. They’re not a bad crew but throwing 7 pitchers, which subtracting the 4 starters and Ohtani, is over 75% of their bullpen just doesn’t seem like a wise move to me. With the way the team uses it’s pitchers this season, there’s a good chance most of those guys are gonna have to pitch the next game, and 4 of them pitched on Monday too. I just don’t get it. And I wonder if all this use is what has lead to the Angels’ injury woes.

Oh well, it’s another tactic that’s been introduced into the league recently and I just don’t like it. With all the millions of dollars spent a team should be able to field a competitive team and one that has a starting pitcher that can throw 3–4 innings at least. Putting a reliever out there just seems like they’re giving up.

All in the West

Rockies 3, Angels 2
Mariners 1, Padres 2
Dodgers 8, Rangers 4
Athletics 4, Astros 3
D-Backs 0, Giants 1

The West was simply playing with itself on Tuesday which lead to some interesting movement in the standings. Colorado moved back into a tie for 1st place in the NL as they beat the Angels’ bullpen game and Arizona lost to the real pitching of San Francisco. The Angels used 7 pitchers and gave up 3 runs while David Fletcher (3–4, R, RBI) and Andrelton Simmons (2–4) were pretty much the only offense. The Rockies on the other hand got a 2-run HR in the 1st from Carlos Gonzalez and picked up another run in the 7th to drive starter Kyle Freeland (6 inn, 6k, ER) to his 12th victory. In San Francisco, it was a battle of two starters with Madison Bumgarner and Clay Buchholtz both shutting the other team down for 7 innings. It took a pinch hit single by Gorkys Hernandez to drive in Steven Duggar in the 9th to determine the positive outcome for the Giants and drop the D-Backs into a tie for 1st place.

In other standings movement, the Dodgers picked up a game in the NL as they defeated Texas behind Manny Machado’s 2 hit, 4 RBI night. Coupled with Enrique Hernandez’ 3 for 3 night, the Dodgers didn’t need a long outing from their starter – he only went 4 innings. And in the marque game of the night, Oakland took down Houston with the support of a Matt Olson 3-run home run. With the win, the A’s are a game and a half back of the Astros in the AL.

Finally, in the surprise of the night, Jacob Nix of the Padres threw 8 1/3 innings on only 79 pitches to carry his team to victory. The only blemish on his game was a 9th inning home run by Nelson Cruz but the Pads held on to win.

Pitcher of the Day: Jacob Nix, Padres – 8.1 innings, 1ER
Player of the Day: Enrique Hernandez, Dodgers – 3–3, 2B, 2 Runs, RBI

Daily Ramble 244.2 | Sports – West Coast Baseball – Bullpen Day Sucks!