One of the more refreshing things about manager Mike Matheny is his flexibility when it comes to bullpen roles. Although Ned Yost had a lot of success with a rigid formula of HDH - Kelvin Herrera in the seventh, Wade Davis in the eighth, and Greg Holland in the ninth - the fact is when you don’t have three of the most dominant relievers in baseball, you have to be a bit more creative. Matheny has used his relievers in a less orthodox manner, playing matchups, the hot hand, and considering usage.
It helps that the Royals have better bullpen depth than they’ve had since the days of HDH.