Baker: 'Too soon' to say Papelbon is out as closer
Washington Nationals manager Dusty Baker wasn't prepared to remove Jonathan Papelbon from the closer role Tuesday night, after the scuffling 35-year-old coughed up a two-run lead en route to his third blown save of 2016 and second loss in as many outings.
But, Baker suggested, something needs to change.
"It's too soon after," Baker told MASN's Mark Zuckerman after Papelbon's horrific ninth inning at Progressive Field propelled the Nationals to their fourth loss in their last five games. "I mean, that's his job. That's what he's getting paid for. I don't know. We just have to go back to the drawing board. It's too early to say after the game."
On Tuesday, after coughing up a season-high four runs Sunday en route to a 10-6 loss to San Diego, Papelbon, tasked with locking down a 6-4 victory, didn't record a single out, allowing five straight hitters to reach base before he was lifted for Oliver Perez, who ended up surrendering a walk-off single to Francisco Lindor. Through 34 appearances in 2016, the six-time All-Star owns a career-worst 4.18 ERA with a 1.42 WHIP, with his worst save-conversion rate (86 percent) since 2013.
"He doesn't have his command, which is evident when you walk the leadoff hitter," Baker said. "But it's like, what do you say? How does he look? Right now he doesn't look like Pap. He doesn't look very good. Usually he doesn't walk people like that."
Still, despite his recent struggles, Papelbon hasn't lost faith in himself, nor has teammate Gio Gonzalez, who said he is "never going to give up on Pap" and still regards his teammate as "one of the great closers in the game."
"My confidence in this game has never fluctuated, and it never will," Papelbon said. "I think that's something that's never really happened to me."