The Texas Rangers bullpen is getting increasingly leaky, but Bruce Bochy doesn't sound like a man who is panicking yet.
By the numbers, the Rangers bullpen sits in a decent spot compared to the rest of the league. They're near the middle of the pack in innings pitched by relievers, but have allowed the fewest hits (55) and fourth-fewest runs (30).
But things are trending downwards. The Rangers have coughed up a pair of four-run leads to bad teams of late, falling Friday to the A’s and Monday to the Reds.
“We were really really good, as you saw, the first couple weeks there,” Bochy said of his bullpen Tuesday in his weekly appearance on the K&C Masterpiece. “We’ve got to fix a couple things down there, stay away from these little bumps in the road, and when we get a lead we need to hang onto this thing – especially when you get a four-or- five-run lead and we’re letting them back in the game.”
In Monday’s loss, Texas went up 5-1 in the third and then in the bottom half -- with Nathan Eovaldi still on the mound -- let Cincinnati score three runs to claw back in it. The Rangers ultimately went into the eighth ahead 6-4, but Dane Dunning walked a pair and allowed two runs.
Jose Leclerc ultimately got saddled with the blown save and loss when he walked Jonathan India to lead off the ninth. That was Leclerc’s third walk of the game, and he promptly was pulled for Will Smith, who gave up the walk-off single to TJ Friedl.
“When it’s a close game anything can happen, as you saw last night," Bochy said. "We walked a few guys and the next thing you know you have to deal with a tough loss. That’s an area that we’ll be working on to just tighten up things there a little bit.
"But you look at what Dunning’s been doing, Dane has been unbelievable, he has saved us. He’s probably one of my better strike-throwers, so some things are hard to explain in this game.”
Dunning has been unbelievable. However, Leclerc is going the opposite way.
Once one of Texas’ steadier late-inning arms, he’s seen his strikeout rate plummet this season as his walks climb up. That’s not a trend you like to see from someone being used in high-leverage roles.
If Leclerc’s job is in jeopardy, Bochy isn’t making it known now.
“It’s more of how they’re throwing, obviously strikes are important, especially for your closer or setup guy,” Bochy said. “Today, (pitching coach) Mike Maddux got here early to look at (Leclerc’s stellar 2018 season to) see if we can see anything different. Our job is to fix him and to help him get better. I don’t want to think of the negative right now, we’ve got to focus on doing all we can to get this bullpen, especially late in ballgames, exactly like we want.
“It’s easy to look at an appearance here or there, it’s early still, but to your point it’s about producing in the Major Leagues, and that’s going to be a big part of what creates roles. I always say a player’s performance will dictate what they play, where they play, and that doesn’t change.
“I don’t mean to not be a little more definitive, but you do need to stay behind these guys. A player is so much better when he feels that you have the confidence – talking about coming from the staff and everybody – and I certainly don’t want to put that kind of pressure on anybody right now.”
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