Jeanmar Gomez Can’t Be the Closer Anymore
For the second time in three games, Jeanmar Gomez gave up a home run in a save opportunity. On Opening Day, there was enough of a cushion to keep the lead intact. Sunday that wasn’t the case when Gomez gave up a three-run home run to the pinch-hitting Ryan Zimmerman, blowing Philadelphia’s three-run lead.
Even though the offense bailed out Gomez in the bottom of the inning, the fact that Gomez is getting lit up early in the season can’t go unnoticed. His ERA so far this season is 15.00 with five runs allowed in three innings. That is simply unacceptable from your closer, and as our own George Stockburger wrote, the experiment has failed.
Corey Seidman of CSN Philly put the oddity of Gomez closing in better terms than I ever could:
Well, that's what can happen when the 5th-best reliever in the bullpen is your closer.
— Corey Seidman (@CSeidmanNBCS) April 9, 2017
Manager Pete Mackanin said in his post-game press conference that he is going to talk with Gomez about the closing role after Sunday’s game and he is “considering” changing the closer.