In late July, I wrote here about how another late-inning implosion from the bullpen highlighted that unit’s limitations. When the relief plan was Ryan Pressly or bust, you’d probably have a fair number of the latter during a 162-game season. The hope earlier in the summer was that some combination of Pedro Báez, Ryne Stanek, and Cristian Javier, among others, would become sufficient in the second half.
Well, life doesn’t always work out, and plans can go awry. The Astros had found out about that little truth numerous times this summer when it came to the bullpen.