Major-league teams, separated by 56 miles, have players on historically bad streaks
The Washington Nationals rolled the dice a bit when they signed right-hander Trevor Rosenthal to a one-year, $7 million deal shortly after the end of the 2018 season.
While Rosenthal didn’t appear in a game last year as he returned from Tommy John surgery, he was back throwing his fastball in the upper 90s. Some Royals fans were disappointed that Kansas City didn’t try and sign Rosenthal, who grew up in Lee’s Summit.
But as bad as the Royals bullpen has been in the early part of the season, Rosenthal has been worse. He’s appeared in four games and his ERA is INF. That stands for infinity, and it’s not the fun kind like in “Toy Story.”
“I’ve been super encouraged because of how good I feel, but that’s what makes it more frustrating because I know it’s there,” Rosenthal told the Washington Post. “I know my stuff’s there. I feel better than ever, really, but the results aren’t happening.”
Rosenthal has faced nine batters and they’ve all reached base. He’s given up four hits, walked four and hit a batter. Rosenthal has allowed seven runs and thrown a wild pitch, too.
On Sunday, Rosenthal threw seven pitches to two batters and just one was a strike. He walked one and hit a batter.
“We have to come up with something. We have to figure something out for him,” manager Dave Martinez told the Post. “We tried to tweak something with his mechanics, but we’ve got to keep working on it. It’s tough because up here you’ve only got so many guys in the bullpen. You need everybody.”
MLB Network contributor Brittany Ghiroli shared this note:
Thing is, Rosenthal may not be struggling as much as a hitter who plays just 56 miles away in Baltimore.
Orioles first baseman Chris Davis is batting .000 this year (0 for 23), but he has walked four times. Still, dating to last year, his hitless streak is at 44 at-bats, which is nearing the Major League Record. Eugenio Velez was hitless in 46 at-bats with the Giants (2010) and Dodgers (2011).
ESPN noted that Davis’ last hit came off White Sox pitcher James Shields, the former Royals starter, on Sept. 14, 2018.
“I understand the frustration,” Davis told ESPN on Thursday after the Orioles’ home opener. “Nobody’s more frustrated than I am, especially a day like today, the kind of game that we were having. It was a frustrating day for me personally and the team collectively. But you’ve got to move on.”
Worse yet for the Orioles, Davis’ seven-year, $161 million contract doesn’t expire until after the 2022 season.
Unsurprisingly, some on Twitter wondered what would happen if Davis faced Rosenthal:
Well, if Davis drew a walk, both streaks would be intact.
