According to a report by Adam Rubin of ESPN New York, manager Terry Collins said Thursday that he expects to stick with Tyler Clippard as his primary setup man in the National League Division Series.
Collins had tossed out the idea that he was considering flipping Clippard with Addison Reed who has settled into the seventh inning role since being acquired in late August.
Clippard struggled mightily down the stretch, posting a 7.11 ERA in his final 12 appearances, but has proven to be very formidable against left-handed hitters who he’s held to a .137 batting average.
“You’re looking at a lineup that’s primarily left-handed,” Collins told reporters. “You look at Clippard’s numbers against lefties and they’re really good.”
“With the back end of our bullpen, the way they’re set up, we like it. It’s worked. I think the four days off has helped a lot of guys, including Tyler.”
October 1
Terry Collins announced a surprising shift in how the Mets might use relievers Tyler Clippard and Addison Reed moving forward. According to the Mets manager, the two of them might switch roles, with Clippard now pitching the seventh inning and Reed taking over as the primary setup man in the eighth.
Clippard has struggled mightily of late and has allowed 10 earned runs in his last 11.2 innings pitched including four home runs. Prior to that, Clippard allowed just one earned run in his first 19.2 innings and 20 appearances with the Mets.
Lefties are 19-138 (.138) this year against Clippard and .182 for his career, and opponents are hitting .133 (8-60) with RISP.
Meanwhile, Reed has been flawless since joining the Mets and has not allowed a run in his 15 appearances spanning 14 innings pitched with New York.
He has has allowed just three runs over 30.1 innings (0.89 ERA) since July 29 and his 0.89 ERA is the third-lowest in the majors in that period.
Collins explained that whether he goes with Reed in the eighth could depend on who he’ll be facing in the opposing lineup. Anyway, for now, this is just a consideration and no change has been made as of yet.
