I saw the “Feliz won’t be saved for saves” headline on ESPNDallas.com and thought maybe Rangers manager Ron Washington had finally figured out how to get value out of closer Neftali Feliz in non-save situations after repeatedly leaving him in the bullpen in key non-save moments throughout the playoffs.
Turns out, it’s just more of the same with a clever-looking headline, as Randy Jennings reports that Washington has now taken to using Feliz to close out four-run leads.
As the manager explained: “I’m trying to win a game. ... I’m going to get the ball to him and let’s go home.”
Washington has yet to show that he’ll find more work for Feliz by bringing him into, say, a tie game or game in which the Rangers trail by one run--you know, the crucial non-save situations that can decide a game--but is now using him in even lower-leverage spots. I’m sure the Rangers’ winning percentage with a four-run lead in the ninth inning will skyrocket from 99.4 percent to 99.6 percent, though.