Welcome to the Division Series! Here is the bullpen\/reliever\/relief corps comparison for the AL Division Series between the AL East Champion Baltimore Orioles<\/a> and Wild Card Texas Rangers<\/a>, based on recent form. For this edition, we\u2019ve used stats from September 1 onward.<\/p>\n Statistics are for September and October only <\/strong>and exclude position pitchers.<\/p>\n Given how unfair ERA is to relievers, we use the Scoreless Outing Percentage (ScOtg%) to measure run prevention. (We use the variation that only counts earned runs.) For late-inning clutch, we use the Goose Egg and the ratio of Goose Eggs to Broken Eggs due to the major flaws in Saves and Holds. Click here<\/a> for further explanation of these stats.<\/p>\n Relief pitching has been the Rangers\u2019 kryptonite all season. For most of the year, middle relief was the biggest struggle. Initially, setup was, too, but the trade for Aroldis Chapman<\/a><\/strong> rectified that. Once Chapman arrived, he and Will Smith<\/a><\/strong> gave the Rangers a two-headed monster to lock down the eighth and ninth innings. As long as the Rangers got to them, they were fine. Protecting a lead while getting to them, however, got dicey far more often than the Rangers would have liked. But Chapman and Smith wore down as the season progressed, and in August, they started to break down. It continued the rest of the season. Ninth inning meltdowns ultimately played a large role in the Houston Astros<\/a> snatching the AL West crown from the Rangers.<\/p>\n A pitcher\u2019s chief job is keeping runs off the board. The Rangers were below the AL average (69.9%) in that department. And the relievers on the Division Series roster combined for 66.3%. On the positive side, Andrew Heaney<\/a><\/strong> and Cody Bradford<\/a><\/strong> went 5-for-6 in scoreless appearances (83.3%). Jose Leclerc<\/a><\/strong>, who has taken over as the closer, went 12-for-15 (80.0%), while Martin Perez<\/a><\/strong> went a respectable 7-for-9 (77.8%). The rest of the relief unit struggled mightily, as shown by the team scoreless percentage being as low as it is. One-time closer Will Smith, who did not even pitch in the Wild Card round, went 6-for-9 (66.7%). Chris Stratton<\/a><\/strong> was 7-for-11 (63.6%). Setup man-turned closer-returned to setup man Aroldis Chapman was 5-for-9 (55.6%). Josh Sborz<\/a><\/strong>, who missed much of September with injury, was 2-for-4 (50.0%). And Brock Burke<\/a><\/strong>? 4-for-10 (40.0%).<\/p>\n Their woes in keeping runs off the board predictably translated into protecting narrow leads in late innings. It also translated into giving up the go-ahead run in a tie game. The historic average ratio (back to 1921) of Goose Eggs to Broken Eggs is around 3.0 (to 1). In September, the AL average was 2.5. The Rangers? (Gulp) 1.9.<\/p>\n Only Jose Leclerc (5.0) had a ratio of three or above. Aroldis Chapman had 2.5, and Andrew Heaney had 2.0. Will Smith (1.5) also had a disappointing ratio, as did Brock Burke (0.5).<\/p>\n Unsurprisingly, the Rangers had a high WHIP. After all, to score runs, a team must have baserunners. In September, the AL relief WHIP was 1.345. The Rangers relievers on the Division Series roster combined for 1.448. And this was despite the performances of Jose Leclerc (1.098), Martin Perez (0.842), and Cody Bradford (0.556). The rest of the Division Series roster was somewhere between disappointing and downright ugly. Andrew Heaney (1.500). Aroldis Chapman and Will Smith (1.750 each). Chris Stratton (1.909). Oh, it gets worse. Three had a WHIP over 2.000<\/em> \u2014 Brock Burke (2.211), Josh Sborz (2.308), and Dane Dunning<\/a><\/strong> (2.438, albeit in one relief appearance).<\/p>\n The Rangers came in 10th out of the 12 playoff teams in the team relief corps rankings<\/a>. One of the two teams below them, however, was the Orioles. This came largely due to when <\/em>they tended to give up runs \u2014 in late innings while protecting a narrow lead. When looking at the relievers on the Division Series roster, their scoreless percentage as a whole was not too shabby \u2014 77.8%. Cionel Perez<\/a><\/strong> was terrific \u2014 92.9%, or 13-for-14. DL Hall<\/a><\/strong> was 11-for-14 (78.6%), nearly 10 percentage points higher than the league average. Yennier Cano<\/a> \u2014 <\/strong>pressed into the closer role after the season-ending injury to elite closer Felix Bautista<\/strong><\/a> \u2014\u00a0was 9-for-12 (75.0%), while Jacob Webb<\/a><\/strong> was 9-for-13 (69.2%). Danny Coulombe<\/a><\/strong> (8-for-12, 66.7%) was last among the relievers with double-digit appearances.<\/p>\n But, again, the problem wasn\u2019t the number of times they gave up runs. It was when<\/em> they gave up the runs. As a group, the Division Series roster had six Goose Eggs and five Broken Eggs \u2014 a 1.2 (to 1) ratio. DL Hall had the best ratio\u2026at 2.0.<\/p>\n The best bet for both teams is to have their own starter go deep in the game. This means, of course, that their best bet offensively is to give the opposing starter an early shower. That way they can feast on the mistakes of the opposing relief unit. In the Wild Card round against the Tampa Bay Rays, the Rangers had success with this strategy. But the Orioles are rested up, so the question is whether they\u2019ve recharged or developed rust. We shall find out soon, with first pitch at 1:03 pm Eastern.<\/p>\n For late-inning clutch, we use the Goose Egg and the ratio of Goose Eggs to Broken Eggs due to the major flaws in Saves and Holds. Full details about Goose Eggs are here<\/a>. Otherwise, here\u2019s the elevator speech.<\/p>\n A Goose Egg is like a save, except more restrictive. Here are the main points…<\/p>\n Click here for the full database of these stats.<\/a><\/p>\n Back to the comparison.<\/a><\/p>\n Playoff Rankings<\/a>, Week 26 Rankings<\/a>, Week 23 Rankings<\/a>, Week 22 Rankings<\/a>, Week 21 Rankings<\/a>, Week 19 Rankings<\/a>, Week 18 Rankings<\/a>, Week 16 Rankings<\/a>, Week 15\/All-Star Break Rankings<\/a>, Week 14 Rankings<\/a>, Week 13 Rankings<\/a>.<\/p>\n Week 26 Individual Rankings,<\/a> Week 22 Individual Rankings,<\/a> Week 21 Individual Rankings,<\/a> Week 20 Individual Rankings.<\/a><\/p>\nTexas Rangers<\/h3>\n
Struggling to Protect Late, Narrow Leads<\/h4>\n
Baserunners<\/h4>\n
Baltimore Orioles<\/h3>\n
What to Expect from the Rangers and Orioles<\/h3>\n
Stat Explanation<\/h3>\n
\n
\n
\n
Also See:<\/h4>\n
Main Photo:<\/h4>\n