More thoughts on managing the bullpen

John Means didn't leave the bullpen many innings to cover Monday night in Minnesota. He worked through the seventh, trailing only because of two solo home runs and an offense that short-circuited with men in scoring position.

The game never carried into the bottom of the ninth. The bullpen was responsible only for the eighth, unexpectedly given a lead and coughing up six runs in a demoralizing 8-3 loss.

Manager Brandon Hyde wasn't going to use his most effective reliever, left-hander Paul Fry, who threw 25 pitches Sunday afternoon in D.C. and retired all six batters faced.

Nationals manager Davey Martinez trotted out reliever Daniel Hudson in every game of the series. Fry had three days off before his D.C. appearance, perhaps a needed break after allowing three runs in two-thirds of an inning against the Rays.

Fry has been summoned in back-to-back games four times this season, most recently May 9-10 against the Red Sox. He didn't pitch again until May 16.

Hyde is especially sensitive to overworking his pitchers after a truncated 2020 season. Most of the starters aren't allowing him to back off his bullpen, with only Means providing consistent length. And a 14-man pitching staff isn't a luxury.

It seems more like a shortage.

Critics of Hyde's relief choices Monday night, and Twitter has a knack for putting everyone on blast, must be aware of a hot hand that he missed.

Fry wasn't available as far as Hyde was concerned, and he gets the final vote. Tanner Scott is one of the high-leverage relievers, a status threatened by his 17 walks in 18 1/3 innings. César Valdez is the closer, a status threatened by the six runs and 12 hits allowed in his last five appearances totaling 3 2/3 innings.

(I wouldn't say hitters have "figured out" Valdez. They're always sitting on the changeup. He's just elevating it. The dead fish is floating up in the strike zone.)

Cole Sulser threw 18 and 22 pitches in back-to-back appearances Saturday and Sunday and wasn't getting into Monday's game. He also walked three batters in 1 1/3 innings.

Left-hander Keegan Akin was held back in case Dean Kremer couldn't get past the early innings last night. Someone has to be available for long relief, and Akin warmed in the fourth before entering in the sixth with a 6.14 ERA and 1.364 WHIP in three appearances.

Akin was charged with two runs in three innings, including Rob Refsnyder's solo homer, but he prevented Hyde from draining the 'pen.

"Keegan Akin, I thought, threw the ball really well for three innings," Hyde said last night. "I was really impressed with Keegan. Two runs given up, one's a fly ball homer that's not a normal home run in a normal park, and then kind of a bloop double there down the left field line."

Shawn Armstrong has an 8.10 ERA and 1.980 WHIP in 17 appearances and has let nine of 11 inherited runners score. Adam Plutko registered a 10.24 and 1.966 ERA this month and opponents slashed .316/.435/.711. He's let nine of 18 inherited runners cross the plate this season.

Hyde called upon Plutko last night to start the fifth inning, and a double and hit-by-pitch didn't cost him. A much-needed scoreless outing.

Tyler Wells is forced into close games, rarely the intended goal with Rule 5 picks, and he's carrying a 5.48 ERA with six home runs surrendered in 21 1/3 innings. He's also struck out 27 batters. The arm is worth keeping and developing.

So again, which available hot hand was skipped Monday night?

Never let facts and logic get in the way of a good rant.

The only reasonable second-guess Monday would have been the reluctance to use left-hander Brandon Waddell, but he threw one inning at Triple-A Norfolk before his recall and hasn't pitched in the majors since May 4.

The intake process really must have dragged.

The Twins removed Waddell from their 40-man roster with his ERA at 11.25 and WHIP at 3.250 in four innings.

If he's here, he has to pitch. Otherwise, why make the roster move? But there isn't a track record, just a chance to audition with a game on the line.

Hyde was back to piecing together nine innings last night with a starter failing to make it past the fourth. The fifth has been a popular barrier.

Using only two relievers was a huge accomplishment.

Kremer is scuffling again. It's common with the young starters, an unfortunate part of the process that can test their confidence.

"I think Dean, mentally he's OK," Hyde said. "I think he's frustrated and you see frustration out on the mound. I thought he really got squeezed early. I thought both guys did. (José) Berríos, too. Really got squeezed early, which affected the game for Dean. He felt like he really had to come into the middle part of the plate to get a strike. I felt like it was both sides a little bit, watching replays.

"This is all learning experiences with these guys. Kremer, Akin, (Ryan) Mountcastle, all these guys that don't have much time up here. These are learning moments, teaching moments, that's why they're here right now, and now it's about making adjustments, adapting to the league, understanding what you have to do. It's not an easy game to play at this level."

It isn't an easy one to manage, either, when the pitching can't hold up.

Wondering who's getting most of the save opportunities with Valdez struggling probably should be reeled in. The Orioles first need to be able to carry a lead into the ninth.

Withholding Fry to the end could create more lost leads.

As Hyde said yesterday, "If I don't use Paul Fry in a big spot in the seventh or eighth, you could possibly see him in the ninth, but we've got to try to get there, also, so I'm going to do the best I can."