Detroit — If you were given this set of statistics — four runs allowed in the last 11u2153 innings, with 12 strikeouts, four walks and an opponent batting average of .231 — would you guess those numbers belong to Tigers lefty Daniel Norris?
Bet not. Especially if you watched the Tigers’ 6-5 loss to the Indians Monday and saw Norris yield a back-breaking, two-run single to left-handed hitting Eddie Rosario in the seventh inning and noticed his 5.63 ERA and 1.5 WHIP.
This is the bane of every relief pitcher’s existence. A few rough outings early can stick with your stat line for a long, long time and ultimately obscure the good work you’ve done since.