A quality major league closer is a true sports phenomenon that defies explanation. They enter the game in the ninth inning with a lead and are expected to preserve the victory with no mishaps taking place.
Unfortunately, a closer may not record a single out, and the lead is suddenly lost. For the San Diego Padres, this scenario persists with closer Robert Suarez. No one can identify why his struggles unfold with no rhyme or reason.
Now, the Friar Faithful ask how many more blown saves or bad outings
are needed before the Padres to remove Suarez from the closer position.
Suarez is not a sure thing in the ninth
The role of the closer is to secure a win. Suarez has blown five saves this season. The result for the Friars is wasting an opportunity to gain ground on the National League West division-leading Los Angeles Dodgers.
His troubles began when he failed to protect a lead against the Arizona Diamondbacks on June 14 and again four days later against the Dodgers on June 18. Last month, Suarez gave up a run on two hits and a walk in an eventual 5-4 extra-inning home win over the Boston Red Sox. The final straw took place in the second game of the recently completed Cincinnati Reds series. Suarez let an opportunity for a walkoff win slip away with a two-out, two-run home run by Tyler Stephenson in the top of the ninth inning.
Padres need to make a change at the closer position
We all have heard the excuses: he worked in back-to-back games, Suarez is tipping his pitches, or Padres Manager Mike Shildt pulled the starter too soon in the contest.
I’m not going to dissect each pitch thrown, but Suarez is guilty of failing to execute in key moments of games. You cannot characterize his struggles as a rough stretch in the season. The problem has persisted for far too long.
Too many potential wins have gone by the wayside this season. It is too late in the season to say, “That is baseball, as we cannot win every game.” The Friar Faithful are frustrated by the crushing defeats and are getting tired of hoping the Padres can rebound with a meaningful victory. It can get pretty exhausting chasing down the team ahead of you in the standings.
It is time for the Friars to turn the page and name Mason Miller as their new closer. He has been outstanding since arriving in San Diego at the trade deadline. Miller has a 1.17 ERA in 15 appearances in the brown and gold. Someone else needs to be given a chance in the role, and his elite velocity makes Miller the right choice.
It is hard to explain Suarez’s struggles. The Friar Faithful were confident when he took the mound in the ninth, but that is no longer true. A change at the closer position might be the right call for the Padres to secure a postseason berth.
