What Tampa is doing is a bit unique
They aren't just starting a reliever.
They actually have a designated starter for the game.
Last week they played the Angels, and this week the Orioles, two teams that have a lot of righthanded hitters at the top of their order.
So they are starting Sergio Romo, a righthanded reliever who gets out righties, at least twice vs the Orioles this weekend, and did so back to back games vs LA last weekend.
They will bring the "real starter" in after 5 batters or so, regardless of how Romo does. He's a one inning reliever, pretty much always has been.
So the real starter will get to face the bottom of the order, then go through the order twice, before having to face the top of the order a 3rd time. Stats show that average starters really get hammered when they hit the 3rd time through the order. The "real starter" will see the bottom hitters (presumably weaker) 3 times, but it probably won't be until the 6th or 7th inning that he would have to face the good hitters a 3rd time, and at that point he'll be taken out. Romo is a guy who likely would have come in when the 3rd time through the order came up anyway.
It's an interesting plan. They went 1-1 with it last weekend.
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In response to this post by Technocrat)
Posted: 05/25/2018 at 3:10PM