Riley O'Brien (St. Louis Cardinals), who declined to join the World Baseball Classic (WBC) South Korea national team and had been cruising, was hammered by a Double-A team. Can he hold onto the closer role he held last year?
O'Brien entered as the fourth pitcher in the game against the club's Double-A team, the Springfield Cardinals, held at Hammons Field in Springfield, Missouri, on the 24th (Korea time) and recorded 1 inning, 4 hits allowed (1 home run), 2 strikeouts and 2 earned runs. He blew the save after relinquishing a 2-0 lead, but the team immediately took a one-run lead, giving him an awkward relief win.
O'Brien took the mound in the bottom of the seventh. He struck out leadoff hitter Leon Bernal looking. He gave up a single to Colton Ledbetter but got him out on a fielder's choice to record two outs. Just when it seemed O'Brien would easily finish the inning, he allowed a single to Bly Madris with two outs. Then Brian Torres hit a two-run opposite-field home run. The game was tied 2-2. With two outs and no runners, Annelo Encarnacion struck out swinging to end the seventh.
In the top of the eighth, Trey Page hit a solo homer, giving St. Louis a 3-2 lead, and O'Brien came back out to the mound in the eighth. But he allowed a single to Joshua Baez and was then taken out of the game.
O'Brien allowed runs for the first time in four appearances. In his previous three exhibition games he had all pitched well. On March 14 against the Houston Astros he pitched 1 inning with 1 strikeout and no runs allowed; on March 16 against the Washington Nationals he pitched 1 inning with 2 strikeouts and no runs allowed. On March 20 against Washington he allowed 3 hits but still tossed 1 inning with 2 strikeouts and no runs, continuing his strong outings.
O'Brien, a Korean-descended pitcher who has the Korean-style middle name 'Jun-young', was scheduled to take the mound this year for the WBC South Korea national team. He made the final roster and was expected to be the closer. But he suffered right calf pain during mid-February spring camp, which prevented him from joining the national team.
Coincidentally, he returned on the 8th against the New York Mets while Korea's first round of the tournament was ongoing and had a return ceremony by pitching 1 inning, allowing 1 hit and 1 walk with no runs. He threw a powerful fastball that topped out at 99.1 miles per hour. But on the 11th against the Mets he struggled, allowing 1 run on 2/3 of an inning with 4 walks. Of 27 pitches, only 11 were strikes.
Ironically, after Korea miraculously advanced from the first round, they hoped O'Brien would join for the quarterfinals in Miami, where the U.S. games are held. With Son Ju-yeong leaving the squad with elbow pain, a chance opened for O'Brien to join as a replacement. But just as they were considering that, O'Brien struggled and informed the team he would decline to join.
Ironically, after O'Brien indicated he would decline to join the national team, he then posted three consecutive scoreless appearances, creating an ironic situation.
As a result, O'Brien has been inconsistent throughout spring camp. His ERA over five exhibition games is 1.93, but he allowed five walks in those five games. He has shown uneasy pitching in many ways.
Last year O'Brien emerged as St. Louis's closer, appearing in 42 games with 48 innings, a 3-1 record, 6 saves, a 2.06 ERA, 45 strikeouts, 22 walks and a 1.15 WHIP. But his uncertain form in spring camp has put him at risk of losing the closer role. Left-hander Jojo Romero and right-hander Matt Swanson are among those classified as potential closers in place of O'Brien. Will O'Brien have to give up the closer role he struggled to establish?
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