Every single inning throughout a three-game set has consequences for the rest of the series, and the Boston Red Sox learned that lesson the hard way on Sunday.
The Red Sox were able to hang on for a 7-5 victory over the Miami Marlins on Saturday, but they burned closer Aroldis Chapman in what should have been a stress-free ninth inning. Isaiah Campbell, who was making only his sixth appearance of the season, allowed three earned runs in two-thirds of an inning, bringing the tying run to the plate and forcing Chapman into the game.
On Sunday, the Red Sox carried a 3-2 lead into the ninth inning, a textbook use-your-closer situation. But the Red Sox didn’t have Chapman available, because he’d thrown each of the two days prior, and they paid for it dearly.
Boston used setup man Garrett Whitlock in the eighth inning, and he allowed a run on a Liam Hicks RBI single. They went to Greg Weissert in the ninth for a potential cut, and he allowed a leadoff home run to Dane Myers. Then, trade deadline acquisition was brought on to face lefty Jakob Marsee, and the rookie stunned the Fenway Park crowd with a game-winning two-run home run down the right field line.
Whitlock, Weissert, and Matz all failed to do their jobs. But none of those failures should have mattered, because Boston should have had its closer and his 1.15 ERA available to finish the game.
It’s not the first time Campbell has proven he can’t be trusted in even a low-to-medium leverage situation, but it should be the last. He has an ERA of 11.30 in 14 outings as a Red Sox. He needs to be off the roster immediately, and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him designated for assignment altogether.
It’s an indictment on the front office that more arms weren’t brought in at the deadline, making Campbell a candidate for that eighth spot in the bullpen. He’s nowhere close to the eighth best reliever, either, but there are too many lefties already, meaning Brennan Bernardino and Chris Murphy are stuck in Triple-A.
At this point, none of that matters, because righty, lefty, or a guy walking up to the plate without a bat in his hands, Campbell isn’t getting anybody out.
The 28-year-old does have a minor league option, but the Red Sox may well need his 40-man roster spot for whoever they bring up to replace him. For instance, the next righty on the depth chart may be Nick Burdi, who was outrighted to Triple-A earlier this week and would need a spot on the 40-man to be recalled to the majors.
Even an option is acceptable, because the Red Sox could open up a 40-man spot by putting Marcelo Mayer on the season-ending injured list. But the main point is that Campbell has to be swept away immediately, before he can cause any more damage.
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