NLCS: Seranthony Dominguez Leads a Rebuilt Phillies Bullpen
PHILADELPHIA (9-3-1) — In an offseason that could prove to be a turning point for the Phillies, they are seeing the return of their late-season savior, reliever, and all-around beast in Seranthony Dominguez. He has been called in all of the relief spots for the Phillies, making the role his own in 2012, but now he is leading the staff in victories.
During the course of his career, Dominguez has seen many different roles as a closer, but he has become the first Phillies reliever to win three or more games for them in a single season since Jim Maloney won the team’s first three-game series win in 2004.
“I think I’ve definitely turned into an ace, and I think that’s really good for the Phils,” said Dominguez after a 4-2 win over the Reds in Game 4 on Thursday. “We knew going into this year there was a high-wire act that needed to happen between [the bullpen and starting rotation], and I think we’ve done that.”
Dominguez has now put together 14 quality starts, which is the largest run of any pitcher in franchise history.
According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Dominguez’s 14 games came between March 21 and April 5, when the Phillies were 8-4-2.
The Phillies’ bullpen will likely have its first playoff appearance since 2010, which was the final year of the current Phils regime.
It won’t come tonight. It’s only Game 5 of an interleague set that the Phillies are favored to win. But the bullpen has been great to watch, not to mention the staff-wide success that they have been having.
In general, the Phillies are just a different team when they aren’t down 3-1 or down by three or more.
When you have that kind of a late-season surge in the bullpen, it’s important for people to pay attention to the way they have performed. You have to.
The Phillies seem to be having a good run of late, and they are on the cusp of a playoff spot, while
