Bullpen math for a September that suddenly matters
A division lead worth protecting and 26 games to protect it. Here is how the late innings should be divided, and who should never see the eighth.
By libertybellsports · · 1 min read
The Phillies enter the final month with a bullpen that has been good enough and a schedule that will test whether good enough holds. Twenty-six games remain, nine of them against teams still chasing a wild card.
The manager has not named a closer for September and does not intend to. The plan, as described after Tuesday's game, is to let matchups decide the ninth and to protect the two highest-leverage arms from pitching three days in a row.
The eighth inning is where the math gets interesting. Three relievers have earned the right to it; one has earned the right to stay away from it. The team knows which is which. The question is whether the plan survives a bad week.
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