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Ryan Franklin's fourth blown save of the season was his most efficient to date, as he threw just five pitches to Matt Kemp on Sunday before surrendering this walk-off bomb.Franklin has made six appearances for the Cardinals this year, allowing runs in five of them. He's given up three homers and two walks in 4.2 innings, striking out just two batters.
Following Sunday's 2-1 loss to the Dodgers, Franklin defended the quality of his final pitch, the one that found Kemp's wheelhouse...
"It was a sinker down and in, right where I wanted to throw it, and he just hit it," Franklin said. "I made a good pitch."
And that, in a nutshell, is the problem. Franklin isn't missing bats, even when he makes the pitch he intends. Hitters have made contact on 93.0 percent of all swings against Franklin so far, a ridiculous rate.
At some point, St. Louis manager Tony La Russa will need to try something new in the ninth. Or perhaps Franklin himself will tap out, Joe Nathan-style. The Cardinals are only 1.5 games behind the first-place Reds despite the issues in the final frame. Fans are basically in full revolt.
If you're assembling a preparedness kit for the forthcoming end of the Franklin era, it would ideally look something like this:
http://mit.zenfs.com/217/2011/04/Cardsbullpen.jpg
That's a snapshot of one of my benches, in an NL-only league. But of course it isn't practical for most of you to own four non-closing relief pitchers. (I can get away with it in that particular league because we have seven bench spots). If you only have room on your roster for one potential Franklin replacement, then 27-year-old Mitchell Boggs is the target. He's a hard-throwing right-hander who possesses the traditional closer's arsenal (slider, mid-90s fastball), and he pitched a clean eighth for the Cards on Sunday. Boggs has delivered six straight scoreless frames and he's struck out 12 batters in 9.0 innings this season. He also appears to be winning the propaganda war in St. Louis. And I just spent $8 on him in Tout, so he has my full endorsement.
The other closing possibilities for the Cards are Jason Motte, Miguel Batista and rookie Eduardo Sanchez. Like Boggs, Motte is a flamethrower who's been effective in his recent appearances. Batista is an uninteresting 40-year-old righty with a career WHIP of 1.49 (this season, 1.43), but we can't rule him out because La Russa has a great fondness for vets.
Sanchez is an interesting talent, just 22, and he's been brilliant in his 3.0 big league innings: 11 batters faced, two hits allowed, no runs, eight Ks. He saved 14 games across two minor league levels in 2010, too, posting a 2.38 ERA and 9.8 K/9. But again, TLR likes his vets. It seems unlikely that he'd hand the keys to Sanchez right now.
But this much is clear: The Cardinals are rethinking their end-game options. This from Joe Strauss of the Post-Dispatch:
[Pitching coach Dave Duncan] declined to discuss specific options.
"I don't know yet," he said. "I'm sure we'll talk about what's best for the team and what's best for [Franklin]."
General manager John Mozeliak said that he also anticipated a conversation regarding the closer. Mozeliak emphasized that any decision rests with La Russa and allowed that alternatives do exist.
Asked if he believed there was value to Franklin receiving a mental break from the role, Mozeliak said, "I think that's certainly something that will be discussed."
Feel free to continue the discussion in comments, after adding Boggs ... and perhaps various other pieces of the Cards' bullpen."I don't know yet," he said. "I'm sure we'll talk about what's best for the team and what's best for [Franklin]."
General manager John Mozeliak said that he also anticipated a conversation regarding the closer. Mozeliak emphasized that any decision rests with La Russa and allowed that alternatives do exist.
Asked if he believed there was value to Franklin receiving a mental break from the role, Mozeliak said, "I think that's certainly something that will be discussed."
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Photo via AP Images