| Matt Capps, You Make My Head Hurt |
| By Sally Haase July 17, 2011 To say the Minnesota Twins closer Matt Capps is struggling right now is an understatement. Over the past two weeks, Capps has pitched so poorly in save and non-save opportunity games that he has now been demoted to set-up man and Joe Nathan was given back his closer job. The last straw came Friday night against the Kansas City Royals, it was the top of the ninth and the Twins had a 1-0 led with one more out to go. Rookie first baseman Eric Hosmer was at bat and nearly swung himself out of his shoes on his first swing. It was clear that Hosmer was swinging for the fences. A few pitches later Hosmer reached his goal with a 2-run home run to straight-away center field to give the Royals the lead. It was a wasted start of Nick Blackburn, who pitched seven shutout innings and Nathan pitched a very clean eighth inning to preserve the one run lead. But when Capps entered the game he promptly put up a 3-0 count to the lead-off hitter. The quick hole Capps put himself in caused the boo-birds to come out at Target Field. The fans had enough and apparently Ron Gardenhire had enough too, and he made the announcement Saturday about Capps losing the closing job. But one thing the Twins need to learn is just because it is a save situation you do not always have to put your closer in the game. Friday night Nathan pitched a clean and stress free eighth inning and there was no reason that he could not have gone out to pitch the ninth inning. Gardenhire knows Capps is struggling right now and to put him in with a one run lead against a division rival and expect Capps to maintain the lead is a lot to ask. |
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