Life as a relief pitcher can be rewarding but cruel, thrilling but infuriating, confounding but simple. Blake Treinen, a converted starter, is still learning this. Last week was proof.
In a span of six days, Treinen appeared in four games. Twice, he was utterly dominant, striking out two batters and turning in a scoreless inning. And twice he struggled, walking some batters and giving up extra-base hits to others. He allowed five earned runs in those appearances and recorded a total of five outs.
In a Washington Nationals bullpen filled with inconsistency, perhaps nobody has shifted as frequently between dominance and self-destruction as Treinen.