The bullpen in the first half followed the lead of the starters: when they were good they were very good but…… As discussed in previous posts, much of the problem began with the troubles, (injuries-releases), experienced by the starting pitching. But some of it was just plain bad.

Brian Sanches: Sanches was the Lynx closer until his call up to Philadelphia and he saved ten games for Ottawa. In twenty four appearances his ERA and WHIP were very high, (5.40-1.50) but one or two bad outings will inflate a closers ERA and take an entire season to look respectable. It was his strikeout total, (39 in 30 innings), and an excellent strikeout to walk ratio, (39-4) which allowed him to work his way out of trouble more often than not. His last appearance with Ottawa was June 15 and with Philadelphia he has a 1-1 record with a 4.22 ERA in ten games.

John Ennis: Ennis had some of the better overall stats for Lynx relievers, mainly in middle relief. He appeared in twenty eight games, (the most on the team), and had a 4-2 record with an excellent ERA of 2.33. His WHIP was fairly high, (1.45), but he averaged almost a strikeout an inning and although he walked twenty four batters, he allowed only two home runs. However, in his last seven innings he has allowed four runs. His low ERA is probably a result of allowing inherited runners to score but then getting out of the inning.

Fabio Castro: Castro was very effective in twelve appearances, a 3-0 record, one save and an ERA of 2.05. The only knock on him would be his walk total, (12), giving him a 17-12 strikeout to walk ration and pushing up his WHIP to 1.36. He continued to have control problems in the first game of the second half, walking three batters in 1.3 innings. He also had two holds, tied for third on the team. With runners in scoring position he allowed an outstanding two hits in twenty seven batters, and average of .074

Kane Davis: Davis appeared in twenty three games for Ottawa the first half of this season, earning two saves and five holds. His Era of 3.07 was solid but seventeen walks in 29.1 innings pushed his WHIP up to 1.47. He did have a very good strikeout total of 38, (second among Ottawa relievers), and he allowed only one home run. He also finished nine games.

Anderson Garcia: Garcia was promoted to Philadelphia late in the first half after appearing in eighteen games for the Lynx. He had a solid ERA of 3.07 and an outstanding WHIP of 1.02. He picked up three saves and struck out twenty two while walking only nine in 29.1 innings. He was definitely a lefty who was lights out vs. left handed batters but hit hard by righties as his ERA vs. lefties with Ottawa was only 1.02 but against righties, 4.70. He allowed three home runs in only 15.1 innings vs lefties. His home/road splits were drastically different as well, home ERA-1.08, road-5.68). Don’t know what that tells you except Lynx Stadium is one of the more difficult to hit home runs in.

Yoel Hernandez: Hernandez didn’t pitch in Ottawa the months of May and June, (well one game June 30^th), and therefore appeared in only eleven games. Going 1-1 but picking up three saves. His high ERA of 3.97 and high WHIP, (1.68). His strikeout to walk ration was an ineffective 7-6 and he gave up thirteen hits in 11.1 innings. All of his saves came in a ten day period in April, (19^th to 29^th).

Matt Smith: Smith last pitched for the Lynx June 11^th and put up some nice numbers in the first half. In sixteen games he had a 2-1 record, an ERA of 2.60, a WHIP of 1.15 and he pitched 17.1 innings, allowing thirteen hits. He had sixteen strikeouts and seven walks with two holds and one save. Ottawa needs Smith back in the bullpen.

Clay Condrey and Geoff Geary made thirteen appearances between them, twenty eight innings and one save with solid WHIPS and ERAs and were up and down with Philadelphia and are currently in Ottawa.

The Bad News:

Joe Besinius: Besinius appeared in nineteen games, went 1-2 and had an ERA of 6.48 in twenty five innings. His WHIP was 1.93 but somehow he managed six holds. Seven strikeouts and seven walks and 31 hits allowed.

Jason Anderson: Anderson was almost as bad as Besinius. A record of 0-1, an ERA of 5.88, a WHIP of 1.51. He allowed 42 hits in 33.2 innings but his strikeout to walk ratio was a very good 25-9. He had a solid month of June but a horrible July, (ERA of 15.19 in 5.2 innings).

Rick Bauer: Bauer basically made Besinius and Anderson look good. He was finally released but not before sixteen disastrous appearances, (well one effective one so let’s say fifteen disastrous appearances). Bauer had an ERA of 7.36, a WHIP of 2.12, walked twenty two in thirty three innings and gave up forty eight hits. Among his sixteen appearances were four starts.

These three relievers were bad enough to offset the more effective pitchers in the first half. Besinius and Anderson were ineffective always at the wrong time and Bauer was just plain bad. Come to think of it, even the more effective relievers seemed to be ineffective at key moments in the first half. The relief pitching simply must get better in the second half. If Smith can come back and Condrey and Geary stay with the Lynx, the chances would look much better than one month ago. It would at the very least allow Russell some breathing room and not force him to overwork the bullpen. We shall see.