Heading into the 2018 season, there was a sense of optimism regarding the Phillies’ bullpen. Thanks to some questionable moves by Gabe Kapler and failure on the part of just about everyone involved, that optimism didn’t last past Opening Day.
Do you remember Opening Day? Aaron Nola was cruising along with a 5-0 lead in the sixth inning, and we seemed headed for a fun, angst-free win. Gabe Kapler had other ideas. He apparently decided before the season that if his starting pitchers encountered any difficulty during the dreaded third time through the order, he was going to pull them.