RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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The White Sox’ bullpen is like the weather in Chicago: You never know what you’re going to get.
Neither do the relievers, for that matter.
Take left-hander Bryan Hudson, for example. Last Wednesday, he closed out a two-run victory against the Rangers with a perfect ninth inning that included two strikeouts. Two days later, he entered in the sixth inning with a four-run lead, the bases loaded and no outs. He allowed four runs in two-thirds of an inning and took the loss.
Is that indicative of ineffective usage? Do relievers need defined roles to succeed?
That’s what many teams prefer, but manager Will Venable and the Sox seem to prefer giving relievers defined situations, whenever they occur in a game. And given the starters’ inability to pitch deep into games, relievers have pitched in more situations than the Sox would like.
That continued Tuesday, with left-hander Anthony Kay lasting 5 ⅓ innings in a 3-2 loss to the Yankees. In the Sox’ last 24 games, only Sean Burke has thrown at least six innings, which he has done four times. The other four-fifths of the rotation keeps putting the bullpen in precarious positions.
Perhaps that’s why Venable uses his bullpen the way he does. Hudson said that’s unique.
“I think every team has their own unique way of using the bullpen,” he told the Sun-Times. “We’ve got a younger team with not necessarily defined roles whatsoever. Other teams in the past, they’ve had a defined closer or whatnot.
“But with us being a younger squad, I think the all-hands-on-deck thing keeps us all locked in and ready to go. It gives anybody and everybody that equal opportunity to go out there and prove themselves any given night.”
That it does, but it also doesn’t allow for much predictability, which can affect a player’s routine. Still, it has worked for the Sox more times than it hasn’t.
“There’s not a right or a wrong way,” right-handed reliever Trevor Richards told the Sun-Times. “A lot of it depends on the people you have because it’s a different mentality, especially if you’re not sure what’s going to happen that day.
“I would say half of our bullpen is locked in from [inning] one through nine. You’re ready to go all game long, which takes its toll over the course of the year, but you also get used to it and change how you get ready. I think most of our guys handle it well.”
Richards certainly does. Since the All-Star break, he has entered games anywhere from the fourth to ninth inning. He has pitched in high- and low-leverage situations and has gotten anywhere from one out to six. He entered Tuesday having thrown two innings in three of the previous four days.
“He just always wants to pitch. He’s incredible,” Venable said. “He makes himself available every single day. Really have to be proactive in protecting him because he will say that he is available to pitch every single day. He’s been awesome.”
Venable likely would say the same about lefty Sean Newcomb, who also has been called on to pitch multiple innings multiple times. In fact, he’s one of six Sox relievers to start and finish a game this season. Fireballing righty Grant Taylor is another, and he has many outings with multiple innings, as well. If you’re pitching out of the Sox’ pen, expect to do a little of everything.
“Our job down in the bullpen is to be ready to come in whenever they call our names,” Hudson said. “There’s no real roles down in the bullpen. We’re all hands on deck. In some sense, we’re like firemen. You got to come in and put out the fire.”
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