Swol: ‘Opener’ strategy not an open or closed case
From SABR member John Swol at Twins Trivia on December 17, 2018:
The Tampa Bay Rays were the first team to experiment with an Opener during the 2018 season when they had reliever Sergio Romo start the game on May 19. Romo pitched in the role again on May 20, 25 and 27. In those four “Opener roles” he pitched a total of 3.1 innings going 1 inning, 1.1 innings, .2 innings and .1 innings giving up no runs in starts one and two and one run in his third start and 3 runs in his final start. Seven of the 10 outs he recorded were by strikeouts. During his time as an opener Romo did not pitch in any other games between May 19 and May 27.
Read the full article here: http://twinstrivia.com/2018/12/17/opener-strategy-not-an-open-or-close-case/
Originally published: December 18, 2018. Last Updated: December 18, 2018.