Rafael Soriano could be removed from closer’s role for Washington Nationals
By Hayden Kane
The Washington Nationals suffered a tough loss against the lowly Philadelphia Phillies on Friday night by a final score of 9-8. In that loss, the struggles of their closer Rafael Soriano continued as he gagged up a three-run lead in the ninth inning.
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Thankfully for them, the Nationals still have wiggle room to work with in the National League East. As they maneuver and tinker with their roster for the post-season, they are reportedly considering a temporary change in the closer’s role.
Manager Matt Williams acknowledged as much after Friday’s brutal loss (from the Washington Post):
"The Nationals fell to the Phillies, 9-8, in 11 innings for a number of reasons — defensive miscues in the final inning, including a costly miscommunication between Denard Span and Bryce Harper, and squandered opportunities — but now Williams must address Soriano’s job status.Following the game, he suggested the veteran reliever could be pitching in less stressful innings to fix his troubles. Asked about the ninth inning and Soriano’s status, Williams’ expressions and words gave strong hints: “We’ll address it, yeah. We need to address it.”"
As far as Soriano’s overall numbers are concerned, his 2014 season has still been solid: in 58 appearances he has recorded 31 saves and has a 3.04 ERA. The overall numbers do not tell the story of his fall-off in the second half of the season, however. From April to June, Soriano’s ERA was under 2.00. Since July 1st, his ERA has hovered north of 5.00.
Whether he figures it out in lower leverage situations or the Nats simply switch guys, it will be a key question for one of the favorites in the National League as the post-season approaches.
Be sure to stay tuned to FanSided for all of the latest MLB news, grumblings, highlights, and analysis as the 2014 season heads towards the playoff stretch.