So, how has the state of bullpenning evolved? Oakland is starting a reliever today in their wild card game against New York, and is planning on it being a bullpen game.

In their do-or-die game, the Athletics are turning it over to their bullpen.

It might be because all five of the pitchers they started the season in their rotation with are injured. But the Athletics are going to treat the wild card game as if it’s a spring training game, or just another Sunday afternoon game in July. I wonder if they are planning to give Khris Davis a day off?

Such is the state of pitching in 2018. Interchangeable drill bits.

So much so that last night in the Cubs-Rockies wild card game, the announcers were shocked both starters were still in the game in the fifth inning.

It was 1-0, both pitchers were cruising, both still had plenty in the tank, and it’s an oddity?

Must be nice to have a job where your boss expects you to work only a couple of hours a day, twice a week.

What’s strange is that the Astros won it last year with a conventional pitching staff. A rotation of quality starters. Yet somehow that’s passé?

Amazing.

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