NLCS: Seranthony Dominguez Leads a Rebuilt Phillies Bullpen
I don’t expect to see the Phillies pitching staff in any way resemble a typical opening-day configuration of a National League club in 2012.
But when you look at the teams that played in the NLDS, you have to wonder if you’re in the same ballpark as Philly.
If you don’t, you’ve got little reason to care about your own team’s pitching.
But if you do, you have to worry about that bullpen being as good as it is this go-round. I know it wasn’t the same at all this year in the regular season, and I certainly don’t expect it to be at the best this postseason.
But what’s it going to look like to the casual fan?
It’s going to look like a bunch of young guys out of college working their way into the majors without an actual plan.
It’s going to look like what every team in the league would like to have: a starting rotation that’s a little shaky.
And it’s going to look like the bullpen.
A couple of guys just have to get it going or you’re going to roll over and die. Sergio Romo, who is still struggling with his command, will get the ball.
Romo worked all season long as the club’s setup man. He was a late addition to the team in Spring Training this summer. And he’s throwing the change-up about as much as he does his fastball. The problem is that when he gets it right, he throws it like a guy who’s been in the big leagues for a while and he’ll pitch in many games, but he’s never going to get the chance to pitch every time he’s in there.
The real deal is that a starting pitcher has to throw his fastball as hard, and as consistently as he can. If you’re not pitching hard enough, your pitches will not be effective.
And your most reliable pitches, those that come right after a good fastball and have to be thrown over the plate to get by the hitter, are going to be the ones you have to give up.
Romo throws his fastball over the plate. And he throws it about twice as often as the average pitcher does.