Matt Barnes: Boston's Most Reliable Reliever?

Darnell's Son

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alwyn96

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Is there a joke about Justin Gorman and Jesus Quintana that I'm missing? Wasn't sure if that was a typo or a Lebowski reference that went over my head.
 

Sandy Leon Trotsky

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I hope this doesn't devolve into another Farrell thread, but he doesn't seem to trust Barnes. I'm asking here..... not 'splaining. So woke up this morning to a disappointment to see the Sox lose. Went to sleep after 7 with Price rolling.
The box score had Barnes come in for all of one hitter, and he was successful, so I'm wondering what was the reasoning for pulling him there and going to Abad who really isn't all that good. The question is more about Barnes than Farrell. Does Barnes have splits that I'm missing?
 

rembrat

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Where are you getting that Barnes isn't trusted? Barnes has been the guy asked to go multiple innings whenever the bullpen is shot and often he'll be the first guy out of the pen thrown into a big jam like last night. And last night Farrell was playing the matchups like he should have. Abad, a lefty specialist, for Cano with Ziegler most likely ready for Cruz.
 

Lose Remerswaal

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That's exactly what the manager said. Cano was 1 for 11 against Abad (IIRC) and Farrell told Abad before the game he expected he'd get in late in the game just to face Cano, and then Ziggy was the plan for Cruz.
 

Dogman

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Where are you getting that Barnes isn't trusted? Barnes has been the guy asked to go multiple innings whenever the bullpen is shot and often he'll be the first guy out of the pen thrown into a big jam like last night. And last night Farrell was playing the matchups like he should have. Abad, a lefty specialist, for Cano with Ziegler most likely ready for Cruz.
You know, it's ok not to jump in every time you feel there is a slight against Farrell. Trotsky asked a question about Barnes and then backed it up with saying he maybe missing data. Very similar to some posters position on Farrell, we very well know where you sit. It's ok to sit one out.
 

mauf

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Provocative title, but Barnes is 6th among the team's 7 relievers in SIERA. His gmLI per Fangraphs (measuring "leverage index" at the time a pitcher enters the game) is 5th along those 7 pitchers, suggesting that Farrell's confidence in Barnes, or lack thereof, is roughly in line with his ability.

He's been better over the past month or so, one dreadful outing against the Twins aside, but I think that's SSS and BABIP luck, rather than something clicking for him in a way it hadn't before.

He's a useful middle-to-long reliever. That's all.
 

rembrat

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You know, it's ok not to jump in every time you feel there is a slight against Farrell. Trotsky asked a question about Barnes and then backed it up with saying he maybe missing data. Very similar to some posters position on Farrell, we very well know where you sit. It's ok to sit one out.
What about my post was wrong?
 

richgedman'sghost

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Rembrat was just stating the facts. He was not stating anything overly controversial. Abad was in the game strictly for Cano. If he had gotten him out then Ziegler was in for Cruz.
 

Cesar Crespo

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Earlier in the year I dreaded seeing him and wondered why he was even on the roster. He has really cut back on the walks and is looking like an actual decent MR developed from the sox farm system. First 24 innings: 12bb/24k Next 27 innings: 6bb/28k.
 

mfried

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Earlier in the year I dreaded seeing him and wondered why he was even on the roster. He has really cut back on the walks and is looking like an actual decent MR developed from the sox farm system. First 24 innings: 12bb/24k Next 27 innings: 6bb/28k.
Time to give credit to Farrell for bringing in Barnes. However, it was way later than necessary.
 

Sandy Leon Trotsky

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That was interesting to see in the game score this morning when I looked- what's worrisome are the 4 BB's given up by Kimbrel. WTF??!?!? That seems like the sign of pitching with a major injury
 

NDame616

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That was interesting to see in the game score this morning when I looked- what's worrisome are the 4 BB's given up by Kimbrel. WTF??!?!? That seems like the sign of pitching with a major injury
Perhaps still nursing the same injury we were all shocked that he came back from so quickly?
 

BaseballJones

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Kimberly's bb/9:

2010: 6.7
2011: 5.4
2012: 2.0
2013: 2.7
2014: 3.4
2015: 3.3
2016: 5.0

So Kimbrel's at his highest bb/9 rate since 2011. Not good.

Barnes has been really, really good, however. Last 10 games:

11.0 ip, 7 h, 3 r, 3 er, 2 bb, 13 k, 2.45 era, 0.82 whip, 10.6 k/9
 

simplicio

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Kimberly's bb/9:

2010: 6.7
2011: 5.4
2012: 2.0
2013: 2.7
2014: 3.4
2015: 3.3
2016: 5.0

So Kimbrel's at his highest bb/9 rate since 2011. Not good.

Barnes has been really, really good, however. Last 10 games:

11.0 ip, 7 h, 3 r, 3 er, 2 bb, 13 k, 2.45 era, 0.82 whip, 10.6 k/9
Looking at Kimbrel's game logs though, that number translates to one game a month where he struggles with control and walks two guys, and one or two where he walks one. Not to say that's ideal, but I'm certainly more concerned about the clustered hits he's giving up a couple times a month.
 

phenweigh

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Time to give credit to Farrell for bringing in Barnes. However, it was way later than necessary.
You're certainly entitled to your opinion, but how do you define "way later than necessary"? It seems to me that if Barnes came in after Kimbrel gave up the lead it would have been later than necessary. I think Farrell deserves credit without the caveat.
 

Papelbon's Poutine

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Wait, Farrell deserves credit for taking out his reliever that had walked four guys in the ninth? Does he deserve credit for successfully handing the lineup to the ump, as well?
 

phenweigh

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I probably should have read the Farrell thread before posting in the Matt Barnes thread. My bad. But to answer the questions, yes to both, though the credit is exceedingly small for lineup handling. See the Farrell thread for further discussion regarding pulling Kimbrel.

Back to Barnes, it was one batter, and a batter that's a shell of his former self as a hitter at that, but it was still sweet to see him succeed in that situation. The unusual aspect of cleaning up the closer's mess may have added some pressure. Strike three looked pretty much unhittable.
 

bradmahn

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You're certainly entitled to your opinion, but how do you define "way later than necessary"? It seems to me that if Barnes came in after Kimbrel gave up the lead it would have been later than necessary. I think Farrell deserves credit without the caveat.
Were you surprised when Ellsbury walked?
 

wilked

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Barnes had almost as much WPA for that one batter as Porcello had for his 8 innings / 2 ER
 

soxfan121

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Anatomy of a bullpen collapse. #RedSox have used 10 relievers in last 20 games. Eight have helped blow wins.
Mobile users, click the tweet for a really interesting infographic.
 

BaseballJones

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Matt Barnes' last 8 appearances (you might want to avert your eyes):

vs NYY: 0.1 ip, 3 h, 3 r, 3 er, 0 bb, 0 k
vs NYY: 1.0 ip, 0 h, 0 r, 0 er, 0 bb, 3 k
vs Ari: 1.0 ip, 1 h, 0 r, 0 er, 3 bb, 1 k
at Bal: 2.1 ip, 1 h, 2 r, 2 er, 1 bb, 2 k
at Det: 0.2 ip, 0 h, 0 r, 0 er, 2 bb, 1 k
at TB: 1.0 ip, 3 h, 2 r, 2 er, 0 bb, 2 k
at TB: 1.0 ip, 0 h, 0 r, 0 er, 0 bb, 1 k
vs KC: 0.0 ip, 3 h, 5 r, 5 er, 0 bb, 0 k

TOT: 7.1 ip, 11 h, 12 r, 12 er, 6 bb, 10 k, 14.73 era, 2.32 whip

Holy smokes. En Fuego.

The gasoline on the flames kind of en fuego.
 

Al Zarilla

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Matt Barnes' last 8 appearances (you might want to avert your eyes):

vs NYY: 0.1 ip, 3 h, 3 r, 3 er, 0 bb, 0 k
vs NYY: 1.0 ip, 0 h, 0 r, 0 er, 0 bb, 3 k
vs Ari: 1.0 ip, 1 h, 0 r, 0 er, 3 bb, 1 k
at Bal: 2.1 ip, 1 h, 2 r, 2 er, 1 bb, 2 k
at Det: 0.2 ip, 0 h, 0 r, 0 er, 2 bb, 1 k
at TB: 1.0 ip, 3 h, 2 r, 2 er, 0 bb, 2 k
at TB: 1.0 ip, 0 h, 0 r, 0 er, 0 bb, 1 k
vs KC: 0.0 ip, 3 h, 5 r, 5 er, 0 bb, 0 k

TOT: 7.1 ip, 11 h, 12 r, 12 er, 6 bb, 10 k, 14.73 era, 2.32 whip

Holy smokes. En Fuego.

The gasoline on the flames kind of en fuego.
Barnes's line last night is kind of weird: 3 h, 5 R, 5 ER, 0 BB. Two of the runs charged to him were as a result of guys he put on via a HBP and a fielder's choice. The fielder's choice guy came in on a hit Ross gave up. So, Barnes was really "efficient" turning hits into runs.
 

mauidano

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Matt Barnes' last 8 appearances (you might want to avert your eyes):

vs NYY: 0.1 ip, 3 h, 3 r, 3 er, 0 bb, 0 k
vs NYY: 1.0 ip, 0 h, 0 r, 0 er, 0 bb, 3 k
vs Ari: 1.0 ip, 1 h, 0 r, 0 er, 3 bb, 1 k
at Bal: 2.1 ip, 1 h, 2 r, 2 er, 1 bb, 2 k
at Det: 0.2 ip, 0 h, 0 r, 0 er, 2 bb, 1 k
at TB: 1.0 ip, 3 h, 2 r, 2 er, 0 bb, 2 k
at TB: 1.0 ip, 0 h, 0 r, 0 er, 0 bb, 1 k
vs KC: 0.0 ip, 3 h, 5 r, 5 er, 0 bb, 0 k

TOT: 7.1 ip, 11 h, 12 r, 12 er, 6 bb, 10 k, 14.73 era, 2.32 whip

Holy smokes. En Fuego.

The gasoline on the flames kind of en fuego.
Not the best way to win friends and influence people.
 

kartvelo

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Barnes's line last night is kind of weird: 3 h, 5 R, 5 ER, 0 BB. Two of the runs charged to him were as a result of guys he put on via a HBP and a fielder's choice. The fielder's choice guy came in on a hit Ross gave up. So, Barnes was really "efficient" turning hits into runs.
I believe he gave up four runs on three pitches... Was that Barnes, and just last night, or am I misremembering? My days are running together the past couple of weeks.....