Personally, if you ask me, I love Suarez as a closer, although he always makes us all nervous in the last inning, but he has maintained a certain consistency, even until recently he was the leader in saves, but seeing how bad our offense is, I wouldn't rule out trying something new.
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It’s Miller time
Yuki Matsui after we score 20 runs in every game from here on out😤
(In all seriousness I know Suarez has been rough but I still want to stick by him as the primary closer, maybe just with Miller alternating in since we rely on our bullpen so heavily and it’s starting to stretch thin with Adam OFS)
I’d stick with Suarez for now, but this debate is worth revisiting if Suarez falters a couple more times down the stretch.
Does it really matter who pitches in the 8th vs 9th
It *should* be Miller (and will be next year), but Shildt will continue to run Robert out there for the rest of the season.
Something makes me think using “who leads in saves” is not the best metric for comparison.
He’s been good. An all star this year with good stats iirc. More interested in discussing if Arreaz needs to be out of the two spot like yesterday
Suarez until next year. Look, let’s pretend you can’t change the outcome and Suarez comes in the 8th and gives up 2 runs. Then we still lose and then what? People need to focus on the offense not scoring. Our pen has gotten us to where we are today, but they can’t always be perfect.
I would just put Miller against the opponents better hitters, whether that be in the 8th or 9th inning.
A closer shouldn’t always make us nervous. Miller is clearly the guy
It should definitely be Miller
Using the closer for non save situations usually doesn’t work. Its a mental.thinh. However, Suarez has never been super reliable imho. Time for a change and go with the hot hand..
This is nowhere near a debate for Shildt so everyone please stop this hobby horse.
Talk about O’Hearn in the lineup for offense every day, that’s way more important.
Reactionary take by casual fans. Mason Miller had an opportunity for a save earlier this season and ended up giving up a grand slam to the Marlins. Trevor Hoffman blew saves more often than Suarez does.
The truth is we have at least 3 guys that can close out a game. It should be match up based. But it wont be because that’s not how Shildty operates.
But I’m fine with big game Bob being the 9th inning guy. I think what’s being overlooked is the ice in his veins. Calm cool collected is exactly what you want from a closer.
They can rotate
It should really be matchup dependent.
Either miller or Morejon. We’ve seen this way too many times. Suarez loose command gets behind and then guys sit dead red. Miller is ten times better than him with that wipe out slider
I havent felt good about Suarez as the closer for awhile now. Years. I just think he’s too one dimensional as a pitcher. Yes, he has other pitches outside the fastball but they arent effective enough to truly keep the hitters off balance.
Suarez was used the previous night in extended innings, so he was tired. I disagreed with the call when he came out: I wanted Miller to continue into the 9th (he pitched almost all sliders in the 8th) and bring in Suarez if necessary in the 10th.
Imagine if Suarez actually gave up no runs? Then they didn’t have anyone for the 10th anyway.
Doesn’t matter; they are both good and will win us games by locking down things at the end of the game. But we need to score runs for them to do it.
My question is, Miller is more than capable of throwing more than one inning, with the game tied, why take him out in the 9th? Let him go another inning and save suarez for possible bonus baseball.
Next season, probably miller. Feel like you have to play Suarez until the end, because he is most likely gonna opt out.
Miller
Loss on Shildt, Suarez played over 1 inning the day before. Either use him for exactly 3 batters, or put in Matsui. I would have just used Matsui since it was looking like extra innings.
For sure Miller
Mason strikes out a higher percentage, but has given up as many HRs in less innings, walks batters at a higher rate. Robert has 5 blown saves in 41 attempts, miller has 4 blown saves in 25 attempts.
Miller time is the future, no doubt. But I’m sticking with the guy that got me here. I’m trusting my manager and pitching coaches that have gotten us this far for 145 games. You start shaking things up in an extreme way in the last 3 weeks, you’re going to lose confidence throughout the locker room.
Miller should def be the closer but let’s be real. The offense *cough tati and Manny* needs to be better if we’re gonna make it far in Oct
Shildt made the right move yesterday.
Miller came in to face Friedl and Stewart. Friedl gave us problems the previous game and Stewart had the home run earlier. No one expected Suarez to choke and walk Lux, which then led to the home run.
Rather have Miller face the tougher opponents and Suarez the easier ones.
I understand having Suarez as the setup guy, gives us another inning to potentially catch up if needed. But that won’t matter if the offense can’t produce better. I like Miller as the closer, but I like him more facing the better batters.
God this conversation is fucking exhausting.
I guess we are all just bored from the team consistently not scoring runs that this is the only thing we can think of to talk about
Morejon should be the late game reliever and Miller should be closing, yes or yes
As a former Oakland As fan I think miller is better and also when I play mlb the show as Suarez I always give up a bunch of runs so I’m biased against him
Last night was NOT a closer problem. Suarez is statistically one of the top closers in the league (top 3 I believe). Hitting did not go our way. Majority of the hits went straight to the defense (ground/fly out). Can’t expect to trail most of the game then tie late and expect the closing pitcher to save the day. That will always be a losing strategy…no matter who is on the mound.
People keep saying Suarez would just blow the 8th, but I’m not even suggesting we swap him with Miller. I think Suarez gets sent below Morejon and alternates with Estrada. I’ve honestly had enough of the Suarez show, my confidence has been shattered.
Option C: The team scores enough to not need a closer every single night.
And when Miller blows a 2 run lead in the 9th, yall will be screaming for Suarez
Miller
Suarez has a lot of saves, but if you think back, he put you on the edge of your seat many times before he nailed it down. He just doesn’t feel like money in the bank like it was with Hoffman.
suarez got 5 outs monday night in the win, probably shouldn’t have been brought in to close the next night. need more from the bats and we are missing adam already
What are the odds Suarez opts out after 2025?
The problem isn’t our closer (who is much, much better this year than last), it’s the fact that our offense has been lacking. Why can’t we score any runs?
🫣 This is me every time Suarez goes in to a save situation. Do we have anyone more reliable? Maybe… but not with Suarez’s numbers/record. Are Schildt and Ruben being as situational as they should be in choosing who to send in? Just because someone is “the closer” maybe they aren’t the right choice in every situation?