Detroit Tigers vs. Chicago White Sox - July 29
With Joba Chamberlain and Joe Nathan struggling, why not use Joakim Soria in the eighth and ninth innings?
(Mike Mulholland | MLive.com)
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- When the bullpen is rested, Detroit Tigers manager Brad Ausmus has consistently stuck to one plan for the final two innings of the game. It's been Joba Chamberlain in the eighth and Joe Nathan in the ninth all season.
It doesn't appear as if that plan will change anytime soon. But it should. Joakim Soria deserves a shot. He has for a while.
Chamberlain surrendered a run and Nathan survived a rocky ninth inning Saturday as the Tigers held on for a crucial 3-2 win over the Kansas City Royals and built their lead in the division to 2 1/2 games. Soria warmed up in both the eighth and ninth innings, but he never got into the game.
Ausmus is normally willing to discuss the decisions he makes. But he seemed a bit short when the topic of his bullpen came up Saturday after the game.
Ausmus was asked whether Soria is under serious consideration in the eighth and ninth innings or if he automatically feels he should go with Chamberlain and Nathan.
"Soria was almost in the game a number of times," he said.
Ausmus was asked what situation he was preparing for by having Soria warm up in the ninth.
"That was if I wanted him in the game," he said.
In the eighth, would the Royals have had to tie the game before Soria was called upon?
"Not necessarily," Ausmus said. "No."
Nathan's struggles are well documented. He has 33 saves, but he also has seven blown saves, a 5.01 ERA and a 1.58 WHIP. Opponents are batting .274 against him this season.
Nathan entered the game with a one-run lead Saturday before allowing back-to-back one-out singles to Jarrod Dyson and Alcides Escobar. He got Nori Aoki to ground out to second base, but both runners moved up on the play. That left the winning run in scoring position for pinch hitter Raul Ibanez, who grounded out to first base to end the game.
Every game counts the same in the standings. But the Tigers have been beating up on the Royals all season. Giving them life with a comeback win at this point could have been costly. The Tigers didn't have much margin for error.
Yes, Nathan held on. But he blew his most recent save opportunity prior to that and held on for dear life in this one.
"You'd love if your closer could get three straight outs on three straight pitches," Ausmus said. "There are very few Mariano Riveras that have ever stepped on the pitching mound. And the nature of being a closer is you're in danger when you take the ball. The game is already on the line. He doesn't come in in a 10-1 game."
Nathan posted a 1.000 WHIP in July, when opposing batters hit just .182 against him. Other than that, his numbers have not been good. He had a 1.406 WHIP in April, a 2.222 WHIP in June and a 1.935 WHIP in August. He has a 1.800 WHIP so far in September.
Chamberlain's struggles have been contained to the second half. Here are his numbers:
- First half:
- Second half:
It's tough to say exactly what is behind Chamberlain's struggles, but he did carry a heavy workload in the first half of the season. He hasn't thrown this many innings in a season since 2010. If Ausmus is dead set against using Soria as the closer, it couldn't hurt to include him in the mix in the eighth.
Soria's numbers with the Tigers aren't great: He has a 7.36 ERA and a 2.045 WHIP in nine games. But that's a small sample size. Also, four of the six earned runs he allowed since joining the Tigers came in one game right after the trade.
Soria has 178 career saves. He posted a 2.70 ERA and a 0.870 WHIP in 35 games with the Texas Rangers this season prior to coming to Detroit. He throws strikes. Soria has walked just six batters in 40 2/3 innings this season. (Nathan has issued 28 walks in 54 2/3 innings.)
Yet, Soria is definitely third in the pecking order in the final two innings.
"Generally speaking, I would probably go for Joba and then Joe, assuming everyone is rested," Ausmus said. "But if I don't like the way somebody's throwing or pitching, then I certainly wouldn't hesitate to go to Soria. All three of those guys are proven back-of-the-bullpen pitchers."
That makes it sound as if Soria has two ways to pitch in the eighth or the ninth:
• When Chamberlain or Nathan need a day off.
• When one of them pitches and gets into trouble.
Soria very well might be the best relief pitcher the Tigers have. They paid a high price to get him. It's high time they find a way to use him.
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