Red Sox closer Keith Foulke has started the season with what many see as a meltdown. Despite making six saves in seven opportunities, Foulke is 1-3 and his ERA is more than double his career average at 7.07. More troubling than those numbers, Foulke has allowed five home runs in only 14 innings pitched, compared to only eight in 83 innings last season. However, the ninth inning has become an adventure for fans of contenders around the league, with closers struggling for many of those teams.
The National League West seems to have suffered from this malady the most, with four of ?five regular closers either injured or struggling.?Los Angeles Dodger Eric Gagne, perhaps the game’s best closer, has been sidelined with a strained elbow for much of the season. Many wonder if this injury could be a recurrence a previous elbow problem that required surgery earlier in his career.?San Francisco’s Armando Benitez recently underwent surgery for a detached hamstring, there has been no timetable set for his return, and it is possible he could miss the season.?San Diego closer Trevor Hoffman has blown two of eight opportunities and his ERA is nearly two runs above his career average, 4.66 vs. 2.77 career.
The two other NL West clubs are represented by former Red Sox players. Amazingly the Sox were able to find a taker for former pitcher Byung_Hyun Kim.?Whatever the Sox were able to get in return for Kim was a steal, considering his 0-3 record, two blown saves in two opportunities and inflated 8.18 ERA.?If there was a lemon law concerning major league trades, the Sox would be compensating Colorado for taking this guy. On the other end of the spectrum, Arizona closer, former Sox pitcher Brandon Lyon has made 11 saves in 12 opportunities, with a paltry 1.93 ERA. Entering the season, Lyon had a career total of nine saves, and has been a pleasant surprise for the Diamondbacks since coming over in the trade that sent Curt Schilling to Boston.
The National League World Series representative St. Louis Cardinals have also had injury troubles with their closer.?Jason Isringhausen has been on and off the disabled list with an abdominal strain, an injury that could linger throughout the season.?Perennial contender Florida recently placed their star closer Guillermo Mota on the disabled list with an inflammation in his throwing elbow.?Injured throwing arms are never positive for any pitcher, and the Marlins lack the player to fill in for Mota, and payroll to find a new closer in the event he is unable to return.?Atlanta acquired Dan Kolb from Milwaukee in the off-season in order to move John Smoltz back to the rotation. While Smoltz has been an effective starter, Kolb has struggled with his new team. He is 1-2 with eight saves in nine opportunities.?He has walked 10 batters in only 12 innings pitched, and his inability to throw strikes has led to an ERA of 6.00. ?
The Chicago White Sox hold the league’s best record, but you wouldn’t know it by looking at their closer Shingo Takatsu’s numbers.?Takatsu has converted seven of eight opportunities in ugly fashion.?In only 7.2 innings pitched, Takatsu has allowed four homeruns and his ERA is 7.04, hardly the numbers of a playoff-worthy closer.?Without more effective relief it is difficult to foresee Chicago staying ahead of the Minnesota Twins and their top notch bullpen.
So while watching Keith Foulke close out a game may seem stressful, we can be thankful for two things at the very least.?First and foremost, he was a rock during last season’s playoffs despite having a few stints of questionable pitching during the regular season.?Foulke is still one of the leagues premier closers due to his change of speed and impeccable location.?When the season ends, his numbers will be on par with those of seasons past, he simply needs to get to work and do what has been working for him over the years.?Secondly, Theo Epstein was able to admit his mistake and dump Byung-Hyun Kim off on a franchise unaware of how truly ineffective he is.?While Foulke will come around, Kim has not shown that he is a capable major league player.?Dumping his services off on Colorado will be yet another brilliant decision on the part of Epstein, even if it was one season too late.