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Like these stats from Stlcard: In the age of statistics I try not to pay too much attention to the past records stuff. Sometimes a guy gets hot and then its more like”so what have you done for us lately?” Especially true with pitchers. Going back 2 wks shows what we can do.
Good win last night.Keep things going!So you take Gallegos out of the role that he’s been crushing it in, to be used whenever the team has a dire need
…and place him in the 9th when he might go a week without pitching, and may be in a non critical situation?I can’t say that I agree. I certainly don’t know that I trust Cmart in the role that Gallegos has right now. He’s ok as closer, although maybe Brebbia is a better choice at the moment.
So you take Gallegos out of the role that he’s been crushing it in, to be used whenever the team has a dire need
…and place him in the 9th when he might go a week without pitching, and may be in a non critical situation?Yes that is what I am saying. Enough with the 9th inning hijinks.
CMart, Miller, Gant, and Brebbia can be the setup men and let Gallegos handle the 9th. How do we know it wouldn’t work? We haven’t tried it.
As for CMart, I think the setup role might be better for him right now.
While that might make you and I feel more comfortable, it’s not good strategy. Whether we like it or not, Carlos is 16-17 thus far in save situations as closer. So it has worked.
Again, why take your best reliever out of the highest leverage spots and put him in lower leverage spots? Go with Brebbia and don’t mess with Gallegos.
I’ll take 16 of 17 rather than put an untested pitcher in the closer spot. Brebbia and Gant have both had their rough spots. Gallegos has been the most consistent but he has been ultra-valuable in his current role. I think he may be wearing down a little. He has been around the zone the entire year. Now he is throwing more WOZ’s (Way out of Zone).
I am aware of CMart’s closing rate. The bottom line is good but I am concerned we are playing with fire just waiting to get burned.
Ben Hochman of the P-D had a good article about this recently.
The Cardinals’ closer is a Six Flags ride. And there are no height restrictions — all Cardinals fans experience the exhilaration and exasperation and exhaustion and ecstasy that is a Carlos Martinez ninth inning.
The good thing about the ride is it generally ends the same way — safe and with a save. For the season, Martinez has 15 saves and only three blown saves — and only one blown save since Jordan Hicks’ season ended with a June injury.
But since Martinez got his first save of the year on June 1, he appeared in 24 games — and in 19 of the 24, he allowed at least one baserunner. In 11 of the 24, he allowed more than one baserunner.
And really, if he struggles in the future, the only alternative is Giovanny Gallegos. That guy is fantastic. His WHIP (walks and hits per inning pitched) is among the best in baseball. But putting Gallegos at closer would mean losing Gallegos as a reliable bridge to the ninth. The key to any good team is guys who maximize roles. And that’s what the Cards’ have in Gio and Carlos, who are kind of “The Odd Couple” of relievers — Gallegos (Felix) pitches clean and succinct and Martinez (Oscar) always seems to keep things interesting.
And maybe the “Six Flags” closer can help the Cardinals get their 12th flag. First he’s got to help get them in the playoffs for the first time since 2015. It’ll be a heck of ride getting there.
Stats from Bernie:
Carlos Martinez continues to convert save opportunities, and that’s his job. But he isn’t pitching very well:
–In 19 innings before the All-Star break, “El Gallo” had a 2.37 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, an 8.1 percent walk rate and allowed an opponent OPS of .551.
— In 16 and ⅔ innings since the All-Star break Martinez has a 4.86 ERA with a 1.68 WHIP, 11.5 percent walk rate and an opponent OPS of .743.
— Martinez allowed an opponent OBP of .274 during the season’s first half. That OBP has spiked dramatically — .385 — since the All-Star break.
— The Martinez strikeout-walk ratio has declined from 3.2 (first half) to 2.0 (second half.)
A bad run of batted-ball luck hasn’t helped him, either. But Martinez keeps walking into danger. Eventually this will lead to blown saves and games handed away.
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