It has been well-documented in Reds news this season that the front of the Cincinnati Reds bullpen has been inconsistent at best. However, the back of the bullpen has done its job to help people forget about that.
According to Mark Sheldon of MLB.com, "Sam LeCure, Jonathan Broxton and closer Aroldis Chapman have had little difficulty protecting leads once a game reaches the seventh inning. Entering Saturday, the club is 20-1 when leading after the seventh."
This is a fact that hasn't gone lost on Cincinnati Reds manager Bryan Price:
"It's been close to lockdown type of performances. They've been terrific," Price said, via Sheldon's article on Saturday. "I'm very happy with how they're all throwing the ball."
The star of the show though could very well be Aroldis Chapman's work and his new weapon - the changeup -
"I think he could be, with the addition of the changeup and the way he's throwing his slider, this could be as well as he's thrown the ball since I've been here," said Price, who became the Reds' pitching coach prior to the 2010 MLB season. "He has three pitches he's throwing for strikes. That changeup, even though it's 88-90 mph, is still a 10 mph speed differential. It's been a terrific pitch for him."
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