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NEW YORK – Rightly, Liam Hendriks was wearing his cap in the back. A reliever will start the opening game of a team in the playoffs.
A pitcher without a win in the regular season.
A pitcher was removed from training 40 players in June who spent two months working in minor leagues.
A pitcher of Down Under who was happy to be medieval in New York.
"Instead of the starter passing number six and passing it to the meter, or group five, and handing it over to the transmitter, we are now reversing things," said Australian righthander Oakland on Tuesday, a day before the race of athletics. joker against the New York Yankees.
Aaron Boone of New York made a more conventional pick for his playoff game, selecting Luis Severino on J.A. Happ and Masahiro Tanaka. Severino created a party last year in the wild card game, but not intentionally: he lasted only one game and recorded three defeats against Minnesota in a match that the Yankees won 8- 4.
Oakland coach Bob Melvin struggled hurriedly with throwing injuries from pitchers Jharel Cotton, Kendall Graveman, Sean Manaea, Paul Blackburn, Andrew Triggs and Daniel Gossett. Still, the As finished second in the AL West at 97-65, their best record in 16 years, and their substitutes 45-16, the second all-time ranking in the league behind the 54 in Tampa Bay this year.
"There has been a struggle between old-school mentality and sabermetry, and it's a way of incorporating sabermetry with efficiency," said Blake Treinen, close to Oakland. "We can not say that starting with seven starts is the best solution. You can not say that opening is the best solution. But that's what will work for us, we'll do it and we have every confidence in whoever makes the decisions. I'm excited to see what this game is doing because it's a first of its kind, and I think we're all very keen on it. "
Yankees substitute Zach Britton, a two-time All-Star relay with Baltimore, said the new method was unfathomable just five years ago. Opinions began to change when the Chicago Cubs and Cleveland Indians used pencils in a non-traditional way during the 2016 playoffs. Tampa Bay was 46-38 with regular starters this year and 44 -34 when opening with lifters.
"I think the data shows that it's an effective way," Britton said. "The batters can not get comfortable with a starter. There is probably a new type every time you come to the plate. So it's a good strategy and you know why teams are starting to do it because it's effective. "
Hendriks, 29, in his third season with Oakland, debuted for Minnesota (2011-14) and Kansas City (2014) before Toronto converted him to the market in 2015. He had 7.36 points in 13 appearances in relief this season. when he was designated for an assignment on June 25 in order to clear a place of choice for Edwin Jackson.
Then, 40-38, the A won their next six games and 11 out of 13.
"Apparently, I'm an outcast," Hendriks joked.
After 21 appearances with Triple-A Nashville, he was brought back on Sept. 1 when the number of active members was raised to 40. While he was going to an Oakland hotel that day, Hendriks received a phone call from the pitcher's coach, Scott Emerson.
"By the way, you're going to start today," Henderson remembered, Emerson told him. "I arrived in the field about an hour later, and it was a bit" Yeah, we'll try this opening thing, let's see how it goes. "
Hendriks was eliminated with a 0-0 score after 30 shots and five outs, and Danny Coulombe gave the double to Ben Gamel. The A tied a club record with nine pitchers in an 8-7 loss to Seattle. After that, Hendriks has netted seven shutouts in his last seven starts, allowing four hits.
His fastball speed was 97 mph in September, up from 3-4 mph earlier this season.
"I think it was a great awakening for him, because he had not been in that position long enough," Melvin said of the demotion. "Maybe a little more focused on what he's doing now."
Hendriks received a text from Melvin at 10:58 informing him of the decision. The thrower is called an "opener", not a starter, and we do not know who will follow. Edwin Jackson is the only starter on the Oakland player list on Wednesday.
What is clear is that Hendriks will only be the fourth pitcher to start a playoff game after a regular season without a win, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
The Virgil Trucks series debuted twice for Detroit during the World Series of 1945 after their return from World War II and their participation in a regular season. Milwaukee's Yovani Gallardo returned from a torn knee ligament in 2008 and Chris Carpenter from St. Louis returned from surgery for a thoracic outlet syndrome in 2012.
After arriving in New York, Hendriks went to the Metropolitan Museum of Art on Monday.
"My wife wanted to go see the Heavenly Bodies exhibition, which was amazing, and then I was thrilled to see all the medieval armor because that's what I like." , did he declare. "I am now reading a book about the aftermath of the Battle of Hastings in 1066. So it's all about medieval French and English and all that."
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