Cora's bullpen usage is a conversation worthy of a very deep dive. It might be a thing few managers are comfortable with (and it may depend on if their starters can even do this), but it also may signal a revolution in how playoff baseball is managed.
Anyway, it's really interesting to see the interplay between Barnes, Brasier, and Kelly in particular.
Division Series
- Barnes: 2 g, 2.0 ip
- Brasier: 3 g, 2.1 ip
- Kelly: 1 g, 2.1 ip
Brasier lost his playoff cherry right away against the Yankees. Up 5-0 in the 6th, after Sale had put two guys on, Brasier looked very shaky initially, allowing a hit and letting two inherited runners to score. Relieved by Workman, who got a huge K to Torres. Barnes then got the first big relief moment of the series. Game 1, up 5-2 in the 7th, but Workman (amazing that Workman got into the game before Kelly) had put the first two guys on. Tying run at the plate in Gardner, with Stanton and Voit to follow. Barnes ends up allowing one of the inherited runners to score, but retires Gardner, Voit, and Gregorius to end the threat and preserve the lead.
Kelly got his shot in game 2, down 3-0 already in the 2nd inning, so not a high leverage spot (all things considered). He pitched very well and kept the Sox in it for 2.1 innings. Brasier came into the game in the 5th inning, down 3-1. Pitched very well, including the Sanchez "get back in the F-ing box" moment.
In game 4, Brasier and Barnes both pitched in an incredibly tight contest. Barnes got the 6th up 4-1, and Brasier got the 7th up 4-1. No Kelly.
Clearly, Barnes and Brasier got the high leverage innings, while Kelly was a low leverage long guy.
ALCS
- Barnes: 5 g, 4.1 ip
- Brasier: 4 g, 4.2 ip
- Kelly: 3 g, 3.0 ip
Kelly got the first call in game 1. Down 2-0 in the fifth, Kelly did a nice job. The Sox scored two in the 6th and Kelly came back out, as Cora was probably encouraged by his first inning's work. He ended up allowing one unearned run to put Boston down 3-2 (they'd lose 7-2). Barnes got out of the 6th inning jam, then got through the 7th. Brasier pitched a scoreless 8th. Workman got shelled in the 9th, however, breaking up a close game.
In game 2, Barnes entered in the 6th up 5-4. Brasier got the 7th. Neither allowed a run. No Kelly.
In game 3, with the Sox up 3-2, Brasier got the 7th. The Sox exploded off Osuna in the 8th, and Barnes came in to get two outs in the bottom of the 8th, with Kelly cleaning up the the last out.
In game 4, Kelly entered the game in the 5th with the score tied at 4. He gave up a run during the inning, but the Sox came back on a JBJ blast. After EdRo walked his guy in the bottom of the 6th, Brasier came in and shut Houston down. Boston got an insurance run and Brasier got two guys in the 7th, with Barnes coming in to strike out White to end the inning.
In game 5, the Sox were up 4-0 when Barnes came into the game in the 7th. Allowed one run. Eovaldi and Kimbrel closed out the Astros.
World Series
- Barnes: 3 g, 2.1 ip
- Brasier: 2 g, 1.2 ip
- Kelly: 5 g, 6.0 ip
Game 1, up 3-2 in the fifth, Barnes came in following a Chris Sale walk to Dozier to lead off the inning. Barnes would let that inherited runner score to tie the game at 3. Boston took the lead in the bottom of the inning. Kelly came into the game in the 6th up 5-3. Scoreless inning. Brasier got the 7th and gave up a run to make it 5-4. Eovaldi and Kimbrel closed it out.
In game 2, the Sox were up 4-2 when Kelly came into the game in the 7th. Scoreless frame. Again, Eovaldi and Kimbrel closed it out.
In the game 3 epic (nobody saw 18 innings coming), the Sox were down 1-0 and Kelly got the ball in the 6th. Pitched a scoreless inning. Brasier got the 7th, also pitching a scoreless inning. Bradley tied the game in the 8th and Barnes came in to pitch a scoreless 8th.
In game 4, the Sox were down 4-3 after Moreland's bomb, and Kelly came in in the 7th. Scoreless inning of work. After the Sox tied it at 4, Kelly came out for the 8th. Another scoreless inning. Kimbrel closed it out in the 9th. Neither Barnes nor Brasier entered the game.
In game 5, the Sox were up 5-1 and after Price walked the leadoff man in the 8th, Kelly once again got the call. He pitched a dynamic 8th inning, striking out the side, before Sale closed it out in the 9th.
Ok, so what to make of all this? Seems like at the start of the playoffs, the pecking order was: (1) Barnes, (2) Brasier, and (3) Kelly. Barnes got the most high-leverage innings and Kelly the least. But by the end, Kelly was Cora's most trusted reliever, working in all five games. Not just most trusted, but also most durable (?). I was surprised to see Kelly as the guy in game 5, instead of Barnes. Now maybe there are things we don't know (like maybe Barnes' arm was a little sore). I don't know. But it sure seemed like at the beginning, it was Barnes, Brasier, then Kelly, but by the end it was Kelly, Barnes, then Brasier. Kelly gave his manager confidence that he could do the job and Cora adjusted accordingly. Not that Barnes and Brasier pitched poorly, because clearly they didn't.
Playoff stats:
- Barnes: 10 g, 8.2 ip, 1.04 era, 1.38 whip, 9.3 k/9
- Brasier: 9 g, 8.2 ip, 1.04 era, 1.38 whip, 7.3 k/9
- Kelly: 9 g, 11.1 ip, 0.79 era, 0.71 whip, 10.3 k/9
Kelly went from initially being a long man/middle reliever to being Cora's most trusted and reliable bullpen arm. Amazing.