Posts by Day: Saturday, October 11, 2008

What will happen with the Washington Nationals bullpen? The Washington Nationals traded closer Jon Rauch for infielder Emilio Bonafacio on July 22nd. This brought Joel Hanrahan a new opportunity to become a closer and will challenge relief pitchers Saul Rivera and Luis Ayala. However, Rivera has never proven himself late in the game with any standout saves. He only has four in his entire career and has thrown away eight chances. On the other hand, Ayala has blown four saves this season alone. He only has one save in six opportunities and may be an even higher risk than Rivera.

The Washington Nationals have struggled recently ending an eight game journey where 18 hitters enjoyed walking courtesy of Charlie Manning. Manning has stated he has had several problems but it all boils down to primarily mechanical issues. Also, he allowed three hits during the August 12th, Monday night game. He said that most of his difficulties are with either his fastball or his slider. The rest of his pitching is working out fine.

Some would say that a wild bullpen is compounding problems for the Nationals, specifically, during that Monday night game in which eight walks came after the sixth inning. The bullpen has been challenged and is having difficulty with the challenge itself. The past eight games have reversed the fortune of the team that had begun with the best ERA in the majors since the All-Star Break.