Joe Borowski Will See Your Blown Save and Raise You One Better
Written By: Scott | Category: Cleveland Indians | Comments: 8
Let the chatter commence. If you didn’t like Joe Borowski before last night, you sure aren’t liking him this morning. While Fausto Carmona wasn’t exactly sharp (four hits, five walks) through six innings, he managed to get out of his jams by only allowing one unearned run thanks to a throwing error by Casey Blake.
If anything, Carmona kept the Tribe in the game long enough for the bats to finally wake up. And did they ever. All-World closer Fransisco Rodriguez came in in the top of the ninth and only recorded one out before giving up two doubles, two walks and a single. The result, a three-run inning and the lead. But Joe Borowski had other ideas.
A walk to Gary Matthews Jr, a single to Vladamir Guerrero, and a walk to Garret Anderson set the table for Torii Hunter (who had already gone deep in the game). Hunter responded with his tenth career grand slam, this one of the walk-off variety.
Fausto Carmona sits at 1-0 with an ERA of 0.69. Joe Borowski notches his first loss, and has an ERA of 19.29.
Before the Rafy Betancourt supporters start screaming, realize that Hunter’s first home run came in the eighth off of the righty. However, Borowski’s 3.00 WHIP simply will not get it done in the ninth. It’s just mathematically impossible. Of course, the odds of the ratio staying at that level is unlikely, but it’s games like this that will cost the Tribe in the division race. If you go into the ninth with the lead, you have to expect to leave with it.
And that was not the case, late last night in Los Angeles. Of Anaheim.
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Author: Scott
Scott is a co-founder/editor of Waiting For Next Year who resides in Cleveland, Ohio. Feel free to follow him on Twitter or email him at scott@waitingfornextyear.com.Scott has written 1700 articles for Waiting for Next Year.
Would I be crazy to suggest moving Jensen Lewis to the closer’s role? Dude is a good set up man, but it seems like he’d be a pretty solid closer.
Crazy, probably not. It almost looks like they’re trying to go the other way though and extend his innings. Recall back to last where Lewis would pitch two or three innings in a given game in long-relief. I agree that he has some solid stuff, just not sure if he’s even considered for the role right now.
I actually think Perez would likely get the nod over Betancourt at this point…
If Borowski were to suddenly have an arm blowout, my guess is that right now they would give Masa Kobyoshi (however you spell it) the first shot at the closer role. He’s done it before (Japan), plus you wouldn’t have to shuffle around the other bullpen spots so much.
By the way, Jeremy Carroll looked fabulous at second last night didn’t he? Great range and nice hands…I like this guy for the utility role.
Carroll did look well last night.
And BLOWRowski, have never been a fan and less of one this morning.
I wouldn’t mind seeing Rafael Perez eventually getting a shot to be a closer. He could be the future at that position for us
we will never win the world series with borowski as our closer.
It would be nice if, as suggested in this blog (I think) previously, Wedge would put the best pitcher into the situations like this. i.e., not Joe Borowski.