138 Sentences With "long reliever" | Random Sentence Generator

Manager Buck Showalter said he wanted another long reliever in the bullpen.

As a long reliever, Devenski has a 0.66 ERA in six appearances.

He had been used as an opener and long reliever this season.

He was being groomed to replace Adam Warren as a versatile long reliever.

Urias could be used as a long reliever, if needed, manager Dave Roberts said.

Since then, Lopez has been used primarily out of the bullpen, sometimes as a long reliever.

The Tigers' main long reliever, Kyle Ryan, pitched 3 2/3 innings against Cleveland on Saturday.

In the regular season, you could understand using a long reliever to save the power arms.

Ynoa will likely serve as a long reliever and potential spot starter for the Mets down the stretch.

Johnson last won a game in May 2013, when he was serving as a long reliever with the Orioles.

"We wanted to make sure we have (Logan) Verrett (available this week)," Collins said, referring to the Mets' long reliever.

He adds another long reliever to the bullpen, one shortened with RHP Brad Peacock making a spot start on Monday.

The Rangers want Klein to stay stretched out in case he is needed as a long reliever or emergency starter.

But Gray lost his place in the rotation early last month, reduced to being a long reliever and spot starter.

Marquez made the Rockies' Opening Day roster as a long reliever while Chris Rusin was coming back from an oblique injury.

RHP Jordan Lyles was 1-1 in four starts earlier this season, but he will move into Bergman's long reliever role.

Jackson has a 1.59 ERA this season and could be an asset in the bullpen as a long reliever/spot starter.

Hahn has spent his entire career as a starter, but he'll begin this stint with the A's as a long reliever.

He will add another long reliever to the bullpen, one shortened with RHP Brad Peacock making a spot start on Monday.

They picked Verrett over Sean Gilmartin as a long reliever, believing they could stretch out Gilmartin as a starter at Class AAA Las Vegas.

If this is an awkward position for him, it is nothing like facing the uncomfortable specter of a potential $25 million-a-year long reliever.

Verrett won the Mets' sixth starter/long-reliever job by posting a 1.15 ERA and one save over 15 2/23 innings in spring training.

The Nationals are the seventh major league team for Latos, who is expected to serve as a long reliever and spot starter down the stretch.

The Braves saw enough in Bong's 2000 performance to make room for him as a long reliever in the big league bullpen the next year.

He eventually transferred to Arizona State, and with the jump in competition came an adjustment in roles, from closer to long reliever and, finally, starting pitcher.

Niese, who made six relief appearances in the playoffs last year, is expected to serve as a long reliever and spot starter for the Mets down the stretch.

Montgomery has been solid out of the bullpen as a long reliever, most recently throwing 3 1/73 scoreless frames to earn his second save Monday against Miami.

Sean Gilmartin, a left-handed long reliever with a 4.76 E.R.A. over 17 innings in 13 appearances with the Mets this season, will make the start in Syndergaard's place.

He was 1-0 with a 2.70 ERA in two starts at Nashville, but will pitch out of the bullpen for the A's this time around as a long reliever.

The Rockies will have to decide whether Butler or long reliever Christian Bergman, who threw 51 pitches Tuesday night, will start Sunday at Arizona in place of De La Rosa.

He began the season as a long reliever after losing out to LHP Jeff Locke and RHP Juan Nicasio in a three-way competition for two rotation spots in spring training.

RHP Jordan Lyles is back with the Rockies as a long reliever after having four rough starts earlier this season (224-21, 235 ERA), but he has not exactly thrived in relief.

The sixth is usually the next highest-scoring inning, marking the convergence of a tiring starter or a long reliever with the heart of the opponent's order batting for the third time.

If Mitchell, as the long reliever, pitches as well as he has in the exhibition season, it will ease the burden on a staff that last season struggled to get far into games.

Weaver might make for a cheery curiosity as a long reliever somewhere, livening up six-run games with his side-armed slowball, but instead he goes out every fifth day to get shelled.

The Orioles were stocked with top-flight starters — along with Palmer, the staff included Mike Flanagan, Scott McGregor and Dennis Martinez — and Stewart became an effective, hard-working long reliever who threw more than 213 innings six times in his career.

They had acquired Happ to shore up their rotation and Lynn to add a long reliever to their bullpen in the wake of the Monday night trade of Adam Warren to the Seattle Mariners in exchange for international signing bonus pool money.

He was expected to be the primary long reliever, a role that has been filled by RHP Kyle Drabek, RHP Matt Buschmann and RHP Tyler Wagner in the interim LHP Patrick Corbin suffered his second three-homer game of the season, when the Pirates had three homers through three innings.

A long reliever is a relief pitcher in baseball who enters the game if the starting pitcher leaves the game early. Long relievers often enter in the first three innings of a game when the starting pitcher cannot continue, whether due to ineffective pitching, lack of endurance, rain delays, injury, or ejection. The hope is that the long reliever will be able to get the game under control, and hopefully his team's offense will be able to help get the team back into the game. The hope is also that the long reliever will pitch long enough to save other relievers in the bullpen from having to pitch.

In these situations, a team may choose to keep their "fifth" starter on the roster in the long reliever role. This happens particularly in the post-season, when the fifth starter is a better pitcher than the "regular" long-reliever, allowing the team to carry either an additional short reliever, or position player, in lieu of the regular long man. In recent years, teams began experimenting with an opener, a relief pitcher who starts a game but only pitches for at least the first inning. In this strategy, the opener usually pitches against the opponent's best batters at the start of a game in hopes of throwing them off guard, before giving way to a long reliever who would normally be a starter in this situation.

Lin Cheng-feng (, born 26 December 1982) is a Taiwanese baseball player who currently plays for EDA Rhinos of Chinese Professional Baseball League. He currently serves as a long reliever for the Rhinos.

Graman's growth as a pitcher while in Japan, lead many in baseball to believe he would return to the Major Leagues as a set-up man or long reliever; however, he had retired as a player by 2013 but was beginning a scouting career.

Rauch served as the team's closer through August, when the Twins acquired Matt Capps. During his time as closer, he saved 21 games in 25 opportunities. After the Twins acquired Capps, Rauch returned to his previous role as a set-up man and long reliever.

He was drafted by the Seattle Mariners in 1996. He remained in the Seattle farm system till 2001. He was claimed in 2002 by the Detroit Tigers through the Rule 5 draft. He spent the entire season with the Tigers, serving as their long reliever.

He also made his first official at-bat in that game, grounding out in the 6th. He was outrighted to Nashville after the season. On April 6, 2011, Estrada was again called up to the majors, taking the injured Zack Greinke's spot in the starting rotation. Estrada became the long reliever and the backup starter for the Brewers pitching rotation. 2011 was Estrada's first successful season in the major leagues. Between being the long reliever and backup starter (starting in a total of seven games), Estrada pitched in 92.2 innings, posted a 4.08 ERA, and struck out 88 batters for an impressive 8.5 K/9.

She was the dream of any manager, being a long reliever one day, volunteering to make an emergency start the next, or saving a game out the day after that.All-American Girls Professional Baseball League Record Book – W.C. Madden. Publisher: McFarland & Company, 2000. Format: Softcover, 294pp.

He is widely known as "Slave Jong" because of him being used as a starter and a long reliever in his team. Due to his good performance in the 2009 World Baseball Classic, many netizens in South Korea called him "Guk-no" which means "national slave".

June 27, marked the fifth time that Villone was traded. On this occasion, he was dealt to the Houston Astros for Jay Powell. He continued to struggle, agoing 5–7 with a 5.56 earned run average. He continued to be a spot starter/long reliever on the Astros’ pitching staff.

On November 8, 2000 he was dealt to the Colorado Rockies for Jeff Taglienti and Justin Carter. As a spot starter and long reliever, he went 1–3 with a 6.36 earned run average. In 22 games (6 starts), he pitched 46 innings, allowing 56 hits and 29 walks, and striking out 48.

Box Score: Cardinals 18, Cubs 5 Before the third game against the Cubs on July 21, the Cardinals placed Carlos Martinez on the 10-day DL from a right oblique strain (backdated to July 20), from the last inning of his July 19 start. Recalled John Brebbia, a long reliever. Optioned Matt Bowman.

Miami Marlins in 2012 On January 4, 2012, Gaudin signed a minor league contract with the Miami Marlins. The next day, he received an invitation to spring training by the Marlins. Gaudin was used as a long reliever. He finished the year with 69.1 innings pitched, a 4.54 ERA,a 1.41 WHIP, and 57 strikeouts.

Pittsburgh Pirates 5, Atlanta Braves 0; Tuesday, May 19, 1981 (N) at Three Rivers Stadium Retrosheet After missing all of with a shoulder injury,Neft, David S., Cohen, Richard M. & Neft, Michael L. The Sports Encyclopedia: Baseball. 20th ed. New York: St. Martin's Griffin, 2000. Bibby spent one more season with the Pirates as a spot starter/long reliever.

The #3 prospect in the Cardinals' organization, RHP Luke Weaver was recalled before the game on July 3. Mike Mayers was optioned. Arguably the most dominant pitcher in the organization's Minor League system this year, Weaver made eight starts in 2016. He will not be held back as a long reliever, but will instead be considered a relief option for any situation.

Jackson entered 2015 competing for a spot in the starting rotation with Travis Wood, but lost after giving up 9 earned runs in 16.1 innings. He began the season as the long reliever in the Cubs bullpen. On July 19, the Cubs designated him for assignment. On July 27, the Cubs released Jackson, eating the $13 million remaining on his contract.

He made 2 more starts before being moved to the bullpen, where he was replaced by Ryan Verdugo. He made one start in September, but was used mostly as a long reliever during his time up. In 18 games (5 starts) in 2012 with the Royals, he went 1-4 with a 4.99 ERA, striking out 35 in 61.1 innings.

Erlin returned to the Padres in 2018, making the Opening Day roster as a long reliever out of the bullpen. He moved to the starting rotation full-time after Tyson Ross and Jordan Lyles were waived. In 39 appearances (12 starts), he finished 4-7 with an ERA of 4.21 in 109 innings. In 2019, Erlin recorded an ERA of 5.37 in innings.

Brian Tallet was designated for assignment to make room for Villanueva. Villanueva began the 2012 season as the long reliever in the Jays' bullpen, but was promoted to a starter after numerous injuries to the pitching staff. After posting a 6-1 record, Villanueva left the team for personal reasons on August 5. J. A. Happ started in place of Villanueva.

Three days later, the Cincinnati Reds signed him, and he was back in business as a starting pitcher/long reliever. During the 1999 season, he won nine games, lost seven, and had an earned run average of 4.23. He pitched in 29 games (22 starts) pitching 142 innings. One hundred fourteen batters reached base via the hit, while 73 reached courtesy of the base on balls.

Santana was used as a long reliever early in his career after finding little success as a starter. In 2002, he led the majors in wild pitches, with 15. In 2003, Santana transitioned from relief to the Twins' starting rotation after spending the first four months of the season in the bullpen. He won his last eight decisions and pitched the ALDS opening game against the Yankees.

On January 18, 2013, the Brewers announced they had avoided arbitration with Estrada, signing him to a one-year contract worth $1.955 million. After spending three seasons as a long reliever and alternative starter, Estrada was named to the Brewers starting rotation for the 2013 season. He posted a 7–4 record in 2013, with a 3.87 ERA and 118 strikeouts in 21 starts.

Beginning the 2006 season as a long reliever out of the bullpen, Woods was moved into the starting rotation after the late season demotion of Joel Piñeiro. Woods spent most of 2008 with Triple-A Tacoma, but was called up in August. He refused a minor league assignment on November 13, 2008, and became a free agent. In January 2009, he signed a minor league contract with the Philadelphia Phillies.

He had begun 2017 on the disabled list with a right groin strain, but returned on May 16, and had been working as a starter in Memphis. In three starts for the Memphis Redbirds, Gant was 0–1 with a 2.19 ERA and 11 strikeouts in 12 total innings. He will be available for Wednesday night's (May 31) game against the Dodgers out of the bullpen as the long reliever.

Stauffer signed a new one-year, $1.6 million deal with San Diego on December 2, 2013, avoiding arbitration. Stauffer again primarily worked out of the pen as long reliever, making three starts in late May and early June after Robbie Erlin went to the disabled list. He finished the 2014 season with an overall 3.50 ERA, and a 2.56 ERA as a reliever, striking out 67 in 64 innings.

Kansas City Royals in the 2015 World Series On March 7, 2015, Young signed with the Kansas City Royals. Young entered the season in the long reliever role with the Royals. He appeared in the Royals' sixth game on April 12 against the Los Angeles Angels with two scoreless innings as the Royals started the season 6–0. Young made his first start with the Royals on May 1.

All told, he went 2-1 with two saves and a 3.63 ERA for Toronto. Murphy began the season as the Jays' closer, earning six saves through the month of June. Once Víctor Cruz joined the club in mid June, Murphy shifted into more of a long reliever role. He led Blue Jays relievers with 94 innings pitched and was second to Cruz with seven saves and six wins.

Through the remainder of Shirley's career with the Yankees, he was primarily used as a long reliever, starting just 22 out of the 140 games in which he appeared from 1984 to 1987. His Yankee career came to an abrupt end in June 1987, when Shirley was involved in an incident of clubhouse roughhousing with Don Mattingly that resulted in Mattingly ending up on the disabled list.. He was released shortly thereafter.

After a 15–13 season in , he hurt his arm and his workload was cut significantly. After being released by the Tigers following the season, Newhouser signed on with the Cleveland Indians and was their top long reliever in , when Cleveland won 111 games and the pennant. In his final big-league hurrah, he posted a 7–2 mark with a 2.54 ERA, and got to pitch in his second World Series.

On July 9, 2009, Wells signed a deal with Cincinnati Reds Triple A affiliate, the Louisville Bats.Minor League Baseball In August Wells was promoted to the Reds once again pitching in major league baseball. The Reds used Wells in the role of a long reliever as well as a fill-in starter. On February 13, 2010 the Cincinnati Reds re-signed Wells to a minor league deal with an invitation to spring training.

Underwood became a free agent at the end of the season, and signed a one year deal with team options with the Orioles, who were clearly set with starting pitchers. He made one start (May 12, 3 innings against the A's), but was otherwise exclusively a long reliever. He was 1-0 with one save and a 3.52 ERA on the season. After which, the Orioles chose not to pick up his option.

The Indians intended to use Hedlund as a long reliever and spot starter, but he failed to make the club out of Spring training. He spent the entire season with the triple A Oklahoma City 89ers, going 7–8 with a 4.44 ERA. The following Spring, he was traded to the Chicago White Sox for minor league outfielder Ken Hottman. Despite a respectable 2.90 ERA, Hedlund was 5–8 in for the Iowa Oaks.

He appeared in four games for the Rangers that year, two of them starts, and he gave up eight earned runs in innings. The next year, he appeared in 33 games, all as a relief pitcher. In 1991, Barfield was the long reliever for the Rangers, but in June, with starting pitchers Bobby Witt and Scott Chiamparino on the disabled list, Barfield made his first start of the season. He pitched innings and earned the win.

For an evaluation of the relative merits of a four-man and a five-man rotation, see Rany Jazayerli, "Doctoring The Numbers: The Five-Man Rotation, Part 3," BaseballProspectus.com (August 30, 2002). In contrast, a pitcher who enters the game after the first pitch of the game is a relief pitcher. Occasionally, an opening pitcher is used for only a few innings, and is replaced by a long reliever or a pitcher who would typically be a starting pitcher.

Duke signed a minor league contract with the Washington Nationals on March 29, 2012 playing for the Washington Nationals's AAA affiliate, the Syracuse Chiefs. He was brought up to the majors and relieved Stephen Strasburg in the third inning. On December 2, 2012, Duke resigned with the Nationals on a one-year deal to serve as the team's long reliever. He was designated for assignment on June 4, 2013, after posting an 8.71 ERA for the team in innings.

He also had a good spring training and earned a spot in the Tigers bullpen as a long reliever, leading to his first extended stint in the majors. During the 2006 season, Grilli went 2–3 with a 4.21 ERA. He helped the Tigers to the 2006 World Series where they lost to the St. Louis Cardinals. In 2007, Grilli posted career highs in almost every category, including games (57), innings (79), strikeouts (62), wins (5), and holds (11).

For example, the Boston Red Sox won the 2018 World Series and in order to do so, their ace starting pitcher Chris Sale, who had just pitched 2 days before, came into the game in the 8th and 9th inning as a closer in order to defeat the Los Angeles Dodgers and win the World Series therefore titling him a swingman for that series.Boston Globe If the pitcher is usually a long reliever, he is called a "spot starter".

In 17 starts for the Yankees, Hughes had a 5–3 record, a 4.46 ERA, and 58 strikeouts in innings pitched. He was the second-youngest American League (AL) player in 2007. Hughes was included on the Yankees' postseason roster as a long reliever. He made his first postseason appearance in 2007 against the Cleveland Indians in the AL Division Series (ALDS), giving up one run in two innings in Game 1, a 12–3 loss.

Together, the pitcher and catcher are known as the battery. Although the object and mechanics of pitching remain the same, pitchers may be classified according to their roles and effectiveness. The starting pitcher begins the game, and he may be followed by various relief pitchers, such as the long reliever, the left- handed specialist, the middle reliever, the setup man, and/or the closer. In abbreviating baseball positions, P is used as a general designation for pitchers.

He was 1-1 with a 1.57 ERA and 37 strikeouts, used mainly as a long reliever. He made 4 scoreless appearances with the Twins before being optioned back to Rochester on June 16 when Glen Perkins returned from the disabled list. He had another 4-game stint with the Twins in July before spending the rest of the year in Rochester. In 8 games with Minnesota, he had a 6.10 ERA in 10.1 innings, striking out 8.

He remained in the second squad for the rest of the season, and out of 18 starts, he finished with a dismal 3–7 win-loss record, and overall ERA of 3.95. 2014 He joined the ichi- gun spring training camp in Okinawa. Pitching Coach Nakanishi saw his potential as a long reliever and was appointed as such during the pre-season exhibition games. He appeared on April 1 as a closer against the Dragons, and gave up 1 run in an inning.

He is highly praised not only for the quality of his performance, but for his versatility. In his career with the Angels, he has served as a starter, long reliever, middle reliever, setup man, and closer, depending on the needs of the team at the time. Shields is known to have a "rubber arm", meaning he has excellent endurance and does not need to ice his arm after pitching. During college, he once pitched a game of 16 innings, throwing 261 pitches.

On November 1, 2018, the Dodgers traded Bañuelos to the Chicago White Sox in exchange for minor league infielder Justin Yurchak. The White Sox added him to the 40 man roster. The White Sox promoted him to the major leagues as a long reliever and spot starter. He gave up nine runs, all of them earned, to the Boston Red Sox in a single inning during a home game on May 4, 2019, exiting the game with a 30.34 ERA.

Swarzak began 2013 on the disabled list with fractured left ribs he suffered while "wrestling around a little bit." He was activated on April 7 and used primarily as a long reliever for the rest of the season. In 48 games, he went 3–2 with a 2.91 ERA, striking out 69 in 96 innings. 2017 Chicago White Sox On November 25, 2014 the Twins announced that Swarzak had been outrighted off the 40-man roster and elected free agency.

On February 8, 2014, Maholm signed a one-year, $1.5 million contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He started eight games for the Dodgers because of various injuries but spent most of his time in the bullpen as a long reliever. In 30 games he had a 4.84 ERA and a 1–5 record. In a game on August 1 against the Chicago Cubs, he tore his anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee and was lost for the season.

Knudson pitched as both a starter and long reliever for Milwaukee over the next five seasons, and in 1989 compiled an 8–5 record with a 3.35 ERA. In 1990, we won 10 games, including shut-outs against the Oakland A's and the Boston Red Sox. After starting and gaining the victory on Opening Day 1991 against the Texas Rangers, Knudson contracted a virus that seriously affected his performance. He came down with a 103-degree fever and lost 10 pounds.

He spent the remainder of the season as the long reliever of the Diamondbacks and making spot starts. He was out of minor league options so he could not be sent to the minor leagues without exposing him to waivers. Eddy González began the season in the bullpen, but was moved into the starting rotation when starter Doug Davis was diagnosed with thyroid cancer. In five starts, he was 1–2 with a 6.55 ERA, averaging 4.4 innings per start.

Brady signed a minor league contract with the Oakland Athletics for 2017 that included an invitation to Spring Training. He was assigned to the Triple-A Nashville Sounds where he had a 3–1 record with 42 strikeouts and a 3.67 ERA through June 11. He was called up by the Oakland Athletics on June 17 to work as a long-reliever out of the bullpen. He made his major league debut on June 20 pitching one inning of relief against the Houston Astros.

After the 2008 season, Jong was called up to the South Korea national baseball team for the 2009 World Baseball Classic. Although Jong was expected to garner nothing but mopup duties for the team, he was brought up in the five critical games as a long reliever because of the multiple injuries to the South Korea's bullpen. He emerged as a WBC relief hero, going 1–0 with a 1.74 ERA and 13 strikeouts in 10.1 innings pitched. He tied for third in the Classic in strikeouts.

On December 13, 2007, he signed with the Colorado Rockies. Slated to be a long reliever for the team, he wound up making the start for the Rockies on Opening Day. Jeff Francis was supposed to get the start, but the Rockies' first game was rained out, and manager Clint Hurdle opted to start Wells to keep the rotation on normal rest. Wells began the season compiling a 2.29 ERA in ten games with 16 strikeouts as the primary long relief pitcher out of the bullpen.

Kuo started the season competing with Esteban Loaiza for the fifth starter spot in the Dodgers rotation. Off-season elbow surgery raised doubts about his endurance, so Kuo was made a long-reliever by manager Joe Torre. He has also served in middle relief and set-up. Against the New York Mets on May 6, Kuo came in during the fourth inning in relief of Hiroki Kuroda, and pitched 3 ⅔ scoreless innings without giving up a hit, striking out 8 of the 12 batters he faced, and securing his second victory of the year.

At Biola, Worrell played a number of different positions. He was used mostly as a catcher during his junior year, though he also pitched as a long reliever. As a senior, he was used as a pitcher more often, but he played the outfield on days when he was not pitching. He was throwing up to 94 miles per hour (mph) his senior year, when he caught the attention of Steve Flores, a scout for the St. Louis Cardinals who attended a Biola game to watch Tony Woods of Whittier College play.

Hardy was a non-roster invitee to spring training in 2014, and impressed as he competed for a role as the team's long reliever. The Tigers reassigned him to minor league camp towards the end of spring training. On June 15, 2014, the Detroit Tigers purchased Hardy's contract from Triple-A Toledo, and he was added to the 25-man roster. Hardy made his major league debut for the Detroit Tigers the next day in a game against the Kansas City Royals, pitching two scoreless innings, allowing one hit, walking two and striking out two.

On January 30, 2017, Norris signed a minor league contract with the Los Angeles Angels. After a strong performance in spring training, Norris won a spot in the Angels bullpen as their long reliever. After a rash of injuries to begin the season, including to closer Cam Bedrosian, Norris was entrusted as the Angels acting closer. On July 30, 2017 Norris surrendered a walk-off grand slam to Steve Pearce to cap a seven-run ninth inning that lifted the Toronto Blue Jays to an 11–10 victory over the Angels.

Cardinals will carry 12 pitchers, including seven relievers which include long-reliever Brad Thompson. Rookie Jason Motte appeared to win the closer job, although the Cardinals made no official announcement. Joe Mather was the final cut in spring training. Among the players making the Cardinals out of camp were utility infielders Joe Thurston and Brian Barden and two players making their big-league debuts: David Freese, who took the injured Troy Glaus' spot at third base, and former first-round draft pick (and highly anticipated prospect)Keith Law prospect rankings Colby Rasmus.

Eppley started the 2012 season with the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees of the Class AAA International League. They recalled him on April 19, then optioned him to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre after long reliever D. J. Mitchell was recalled to the Yankees on April 29, 2012. Eppley was 0–0 with a 1.69 ERA in 4 games with New York. On May 4, 2012, Eppley was called back up to the parent club to take Mitchell's roster spot, along with outfielder DeWayne Wise after pitcher Mariano Rivera sustained an Anterior cruciate ligament tear.

Publisher: McFarland & Company, 2006. Format: Softcover, 438pp. Though she was primarily an outfielder, Walulik was a solid utility player, serving as spot starter and long reliever when not playing at second base. "Hensky", as her teammates called her, entered the league in 1948 with the Muskegon Lassies,1948 Muskegon Lassies playing for them briefly before joining the Fort Wayne Daisies during the midseason. She helped Fort Wayne make the 1948 playoffs, after posting a 2–6 record and a 3.07 earned run average in 91 innings of work.

Sergio Romo served as an opener in 2018. In baseball, an opening pitcher, more frequently referred to as an opener, is a pitcher who specializes in getting the first outs in a game, before being replaced by a long reliever or a pitcher who would typically be a starting pitcher. Pitchers employed in the role of opener have usually been relief pitchers by trade. The strategy was frequently employed in Major League Baseball (MLB) by the Tampa Bay Rays during the 2018 season, when it was adopted by other teams as well.

Chad Green with the New York Yankees The Tampa Bay Rays continued to use an opener in many of their games, with Ryne Stanek often filling the role. The New York Yankees coped with having three of their starting pitchers on the injured list by using reliever Chad Green as an opener. Green would pitch the first inning or two and then hand over the game to a long reliever. During the 2019 regular season, Green opened 15 games for the Yankees; the Yankees won 11 of the games that he started.

Hershisher played winter ball in the Dominican Republic after the season and worked with pitching coach Dave Wallace on his delivery. He was almost arrested when some fireworks his friends were setting off for a New Year's party hit a Dominican General's house, but Dodger coach Manny Mota intervened on his behalf. Hershiser made the Dodgers Opening Day roster for the 1984 season as the last man in the bullpen and was mostly used as a long reliever early on. His first win was in a 12-inning game against the St. Louis Cardinals on April 5.

This time, Cleveland did not make it past the first round, losing the Division Series to the Red Sox, despite taking a 2–0 lead in the series. In game three, Indians starter Dave Burba went down with an injury in the 4th inning. Four pitchers, including presumed game four starter Jaret Wright, surrendered nine runs in relief. Without a long reliever or emergency starter on the playoff roster, Hargrove started both Bartolo Colón and Charles Nagy in games four and five on only three days rest. The Indians lost game four 23–7 and game five 12–8.

Working as a long reliever, he had a 4-2 record and a 4.07 ERA. He returned to the minor leagues in 1989, pitching two more seasons for the Angels and Texas Rangers organizations. After that, he had a brief stint with the Daytona Beach Explorers of the Senior Professional Baseball Association in 1990, where he formed a battery with his brother Stan. Cliburn has been a minor league pitching coach since 1991, spending two seasons in the Angels' organization before joining the Minnesota Twins in 1993, spending that season with the Elizabethton Twins of the Appalachian League.

This time, Cleveland did not make it past the first round, losing the Division Series to the Red Sox, despite taking a two-games-to-none lead in the series. In game three, Indians starter Dave Burba went down with an injury in the 4th inning. Four pitchers, including presumed game four starter Jaret Wright, surrendered nine runs in relief. Without a long reliever or emergency starter on the playoff roster, Hargrove started both Bartolo Colón and Charles Nagy in games four and five on only three days rest. The Indians lost game four 23–7 and game five 12–8.

The first nine innings he pitched were the equivalent of a nine inning shutout. Following that he had a poor four run outing yet he was still considered a darkhorse to make the rotation. The most probable situation would be that he start the season as the long reliever with an occasional spot start. Karstens was shut down due to elbow tendinitis and placed on the 15-day disabled list to start the season, allowing Darrell Rasner to take his spot in the rotation, which he earned after a hamstring injury to staff ace Chien-Ming Wang.

Birtsas entered his first Spring with the Reds competing for a long reliever/spot starter job. He was reassigned to the triple A Nashville Sounds toward the end of Spring training, but was up in the majors by the middle of May. With his record standing at 1-3 with a 4.50 ERA, he was optioned back to triple A at the end of August, but an injury to Rijo helped keep him in the majors through the rest of the season. Despite the turmoil the Reds faced in with manager Pete Rose's betting fiasco, Birtsas managed to put together a respectable season.

Although he never played in the major leagues, Kellman achieved a measure of notoriety for his many successful years in the Panamanian Baseball League, both during and after World War II, and later for his careers in Negro league baseball and the Mexican League. Primarily a catcher, Kellman was also competent as a corner outfielder and third baseman. Eventually, he volunteered to fill whatever role the team needed, whether it was spot starter or long reliever. A four-time Negro League All-Star, he played in the Negro World Series, managed in Panama and Mexico, and usually represented his country in international tournaments.

Following the 2008 season, Humber was out of options, and could not be sent to the minor leagues without first being subjected to waivers, where other teams could claim him. Humber made the Twins' Opening Day roster in 2009 as a long reliever. Humber struggled at the start of the 2009 season, pitching to a 12.46 ERA over innings, while giving up 11 hits and walking four batters. The Twins designated Humber for assignment on April 17, 2009 to make room on their roster for Juan Morillo, who the Twins had claimed off waivers from the Colorado Rockies.

His 2-1 record and 4.15 ERA with the Phillies was good enough to earn him a one-year contract for . After ten appearances with no wins or losses and a 6.10 ERA, he was traded to the Dodgers for outfielder Stan Javier on July 2. Searcy spent the rest of the season assigned to the Dodgers' triple A Pacific Coast League affiliate, the Albuquerque Dukes. After the season, he signed a minor league deal with the Baltimore Orioles with a non-roster invitation to Spring training for the open fifth starter and long reliever spots for season.

On July 31, 2011, Shim was traded to the Nexen Heroes along with Park Byung-ho for Kim Seong-hyun and Song Shin-young. On August 3, Shim lost a record 18th straight game, allowing 3 earned runs in six innings pitched against the Samsung Lions. On August 9, Shim finally won to break a streak of 18 consecutive games lost, hurling 6.1 innings of one-run ball in a 3-1 victory over the Lotte Giants. In , however, Shim had one of his worst seasons, posting a 7.30 ERA as a long reliever and mop-up man.

Zito in his final 2015 appearance with the Triple-A Nashville Sounds on September 6 After taking a year off from baseball, Zito signed a minor league contract to return to the Athletics on February 16, 2015. In spring training, Zito competed for a role on the Athletics' 25-man roster, possibly as a long reliever. On April 4, 2015, Zito accepted an assignment to the Triple-A Nashville Sounds. Zito's Nashville teammates lauded him for embracing the Triple-A lifestyle and for his commitment to the team: charting pitches between starts, coaching first base, and even buying dinner for the entire team on his birthday.

A dependable and versatile utility, Horstman excelled as a pitcher and catcher in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, being also able to play at third base and all outfield positions. As a pitcher, she was the dream of every manager, being a long reliever one day, volunteering to make an emergency start the next, and saving a game out the day after that. Horstman also was a good defensive catcher, with a good throwing arm and the ability to get most out of a pitching staff. But she was a superb defender at third base, demonstrating good range and throwing from any angle with remarkable accuracy.

Following operations to remove bone chips from his elbow and reroute an ulnar nerve which almost saw his career end (an operation which later became known as Tommy John surgery), Travers received his first call up to the majors in . Used primarily as a long reliever in manager Del Crandall's bullpen, Travers went 2-3 with a 4.92 earned run average. He started the following season with the triple A Sacramento Solons, however, in desperate need of starting pitching, the Brewers called Travers up in June (Travers was one of 13 different starting pitchers Crandall used in ). Travers went 6-11 with a 4.48 ERA as a starter.

In his third game, he earned his first win. He entered in relief of Mike Krukow in the third inning, and after allowing a run in his first inning of work, he held the Philadelphia Phillies scoreless for four innings. Whereas Burris was a bust with the Yankees (1–3, 6.18 ERA, placed on waivers in late August), the change of scenery unquestionably helped Tidrow. He became manager Herman Franks' favorite long reliever in front of Hall of Fame closer Bruce Sutter. on July 27, Tidrow was the winning pitcher in the Cubs' 4–2 win over the Mets, with Sutter earning the save.

Nova with the Yankees in 2011 After recording a 2.43 ERA and 1.27 walks plus hits per inning pitched (WHIP) ratio over his first six starts for Scranton/Wilkes Barre, Nova was promoted to the major leagues on May 10, 2010, to serve as a long reliever in the Yankees' bullpen. He pitched three shutout innings in relief before he was optioned back to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Nova was recalled to the majors on August 21, and he made his first career major league start on August 23. He impressed the Yankees in his first start, going innings and allowing two runs on six hits against the Toronto Blue Jays.

Three days later, Willoughby avenged on the Astros for the loss in his debut the year before by earning his first career win against them with a 6–2, complete game victory at Candlestick Park.San Francisco Giants 6, Houston Astros 2 (2). Game Played on Sunday, August 6, 1972 (D) at Candlestick Park. Retrosheet. Retrieved on February 11, 2016. He finished the season with a 6-4 record and a 2.36 ERA in 11 starts, striking out 40 and walking 14 in 87⅔ innings while completing seven games. He then was used as long reliever and spot starter in 1973, and went 4-5 with a 4.68 ERA in 39 games.

As Australian closer Brad Thomas left the Eagles for the Detroit Tigers in MLB after the 2009 season, former Minnesota Twins setup man Julio DePaula became a closer for the 2010 Eagles, where manager Han Dae-Hwa intended to use Park as a left-handed specialist or long reliever. Park had a surprising ERA of 1.65 and posted 5 scoreless holds in May and June, appearing in 22 games out of the bullpen. In the middle of the 2010 season, injuries to a number of key starters crippled the Eagles and DePaula eventually moved from the bullpen to the starting rotation to fill the void, which opened the door for Park to move into the closer's role.

The trade was the "first of its kind" in the history of the league, the only deal wherein two past winners of the Cy Young Award changed hands in related transactions. To complete their bench, the Phillies signed utility infielder Juan Castro to a one-year contract to replace Eric Bruntlett, and inked a two-year deal with pinch-hitter and first baseman Ross Gload, who replaced Matt Stairs. In the bullpen, the Phillies signed right-handed relief pitcher Danys Báez to a two- year contract, and agreed to a one-year deal with right-handed starter and long reliever José Contreras. Amaro announced that all of the coaches from the 2009 season had also been invited to return.

Eckersley was traded again on April 3, to the Oakland Athletics, where manager Tony La Russa intended to use him as a set-up pitcher or long reliever. Indeed, Eckersley started two games with the A's before an injury to then-closer Jay Howell opened the door for Eckersley to move into the closer's role. He saved 16 games in 1987 and then established himself as a dominant closer in 1988 by recording a league-leading 45 saves. Eckersley recorded 4 saves against the Red Sox in the regular season, and he dominated once more by recording saves in all four games as the A's swept the Red Sox in the 1988 ALCS.

The Expos signed Pacheco as an amateur free agent in 1989. Pacheco made his debut with the Gulf Coast League Expos in 1990, spending six seasons in the Montreal Minor League system, where he was mostly used as a long reliever and spot starter,Baseball Reference – Minor and Mexican Leagues Statistics until he joined the big team in April 1996. In five relief appearances for the Expos, Pacheco posted an 11.12 ERA and did not have a decision or save, giving up seven earned runs on eight hits and one walk while striking out seven in 5⅔ innings of work. Pacheco spent the remainder of the 1996 season with the Harrisburg Senators.

After pitching to a 2–3 record and a 5.27 ERA in five starts, the Diamondbacks optioned Corbin to Reno on May 22, as Daniel Hudson was set to return to the Diamondbacks from the disabled list. Hudson suffered an elbow injury in June, and the Diamondbacks recalled Corbin as a long reliever, while moving Collmenter into the rotation. The Diamondbacks again optioned Corbin to Reno in July so that he could continue to work as a starting pitcher when they activated Saunders off of the disabled list. The Diamondbacks recalled Corbin on August 1, displacing Collmenter in the rotation. In 107 innings with the Diamondbacks, Corbin pitched to a 6–8 record and 4.54 ERA.

The Braves went on to win 10–1, padding their lead against long reliever Erick Fedde in the later innings. Barrera made his major league debut as a pinch-hitter in the ninth inning, lining out to the pitcher in his sole plate appearance, one day before his 25th birthday. The Nationals rebounded to salvage the series finale on September 15, benefiting from a pristine start by Aníbal Sánchez and scoreless relief innings by Hunter Strickland and Doolittle, as well as an offensive resurgence that sent Fried to a third- inning exit and a loss. First baseman Howie Kendrick contributed with a standout effort, including a two-run single in the third inning and a home run in the fifth inning.

On the heels of the dramatic extra-innings victory, the Nationals placed reliever Tim Collins on paternity leave June 3 and recalled Jefry Rodríguez from the Class-AA Harrisburg Senators for the second time of the season to serve as a long reliever if necessary. As it turned out, the Nationals needed Rodríguez after starter Jeremy Hellickson exited in the first inning due to a hamstring injury on a play at first base. In his major league debut, Rodríguez contributed 4 innings while allowing just one run inherited from Hellickson. However, when manager Dave Martinez turned to starter Tanner Roark in the ninth inning with his bullpen severely depleted, Roark surrendered a two-run walk-off home run to Charlie Culberson, with the Braves winning 4–2.

The most common pitch count for a modern pitcher is about 100, and it is now rare for a starting pitcher to throw more than 125 pitches in a game. Pitch count limits are especially common for starting pitchers who are recovering from injury. In the 2018 MLB season, the Tampa Bay Rays debuted a variant of the starting pitcher dubbed the "opener," whose role is a hybrid between the traditional starting pitcher and the closer. In the opener strategy, a relief pitcher starts the game and pitches the first one or two innings (when guaranteed to face the top hitters in the opponent's lineup) before giving way to a long reliever to work the middle innings of the game.

Jackson debuted in the major leagues with the A's in 1967 in a Friday doubleheader in Kansas City on June 9, a shutout sweep of the Cleveland Indians by scores of and at Municipal Stadium. (Jackson had his first career hit in the nightcap, a lead-off triple in the fifth inning off of long reliever Orlando Peña.) Jackson before the third game of the 1973 World Series. The Athletics moved west to Oakland prior to the 1968 season. Jackson hit 47 home runs in 1969, and was briefly ahead of the pace that Roger Maris set when he broke the single-season record for home runs with 61 in 1961, and that of Babe Ruth when he set the previous record of 60 in 1927.

The Phillies reached the playoffs, but Lieber was left off their postseason roster because of his injury. On January 16, 2008, Lieber signed a one-year contract with the Chicago Cubs. He competed for the starting rotation but failed to earn a spot and was placed in the bullpen as the Cubs' long reliever. From July 18 to September 1, he was on the DL with a right foot injury. He appeared in his final major league game on September 5, giving up four runs in two innings in a 10-2 loss to Cincinnati. In 26 games (one start), Lieber posted a 2-3 record, a 4.05 ERA, 27 strikeouts, six walks, and 59 hits allowed in innings pitched.

Straily with the Reds in 2016 On March 28, 2016, the Astros traded Straily to the San Diego Padres for catcher Erik Kratz. On April 1, he was designated for assignment by the Padres and claimed off of waivers by the Cincinnati Reds. He began the 2016 season as a long reliever, but soon entered the Reds' starting rotation. Straily pitched to a 14–8 record and a 3.76 ERA over 191.1 innings for the Reds in 2016, and led the NL in home runs allowed (31), was 2nd in sacrifice hits (11), was 4th in HBP (11), was 5th in walks (73), and was 7th with 7.244 hits/9 IP. On defense, he had a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage.

Drafted by the Doosan Bears with the 1st pick in the second round of the 2003 KBO Draft, Jun made his pro debut on September 2, 2003. In 2005, Jun was traded to the Kia Tigers for Daniel Rios, and had his statistically outstanding season as a setup man and closer, going 3-2 with 5 saves and a 3.00 ERA in 57 innings pitched. After the 2005 KBO season, he was called up to the South Korea national baseball team for the inaugural World Baseball Classic held in March 2006. At the 2006 WBC, he played an important role as a left-handed specialist, appearing in the last three games for the South Korean team. In the 2006 KBO season, he pitched 101.1 innings as a starter and long reliever with 94 strikeouts.

A failed starter in MLB, Carrera became an effective long reliever. He had a 90–92 MPH fastball, along with a couple of breaking balls, a deceptive slow curve, and particularly his off-speed pitch; a hard one that was somewhere between a slider and cut fastball. He controlled the running game as well, with a good move to both first base and second, and a quick delivery to the plate. On August 15, 2001, Carrara combined with fellow Venezuelan pitchers Omar Daal, Kelvim Escobar, and Freddy García to win their respective starts: Carrara, of the Dodgers, facing Montreal, 13–1; Daal, in a Phillies victory over the Brewers, 8–6; Escobar, of the Blue Jays, over Oakland, 5–2, and García, of Seattle, against the Red Sox, 6–2.

Kendrick was briefly demoted to the Lehigh Valley IronPigs (AAA), but did not make any starts there, as Moyer's season ended due to injury, causing Kendrick's recall. Overall, he earned 11 wins, which tied a career high, and started 31 games, which set a new career high, while, in total, posting an 11–10 record with a 4.73 ERA in 180 innings pitched. Pat Gallen, editor in chief of Phillies Nation, opined that Kendrick's performance indicated he would never exceed being an average, "run-of-the-mill starting pitcher", who would never exceed that role. At the conclusion of the season, Kendrick and the Phillies avoided salary arbitration by agreeing to a one-year, contract. Kendrick's inconsistency continued in 2011, when he "flip-flopped between the rotation and the bullpen all season", performing as a spot starter and long reliever.

After starter R.A. Dickey gave up five runs, Hendriks entered in as the long reliever and pitched 4.1 scoreless innings from the second to the sixth and finished with 13 outs from 12 batters faced, breaking the playoff record for more-outs-than-batters-faced performances. Jim Lindsey previously held the mark with eight outs from seven batters faced in 1930, while playing for the St. Louis Cardinals. Hendriks was pulled in the seventh inning in what was a criticized move and relievers LaTroy Hawkins and Ryan Tepera surrendered seven runs, and with the bullpen depleted at that point, position player Cliff Pennington pitched the final outs as the Blue Jays lost 14-2. For his record-breaking performance in the ALCS, Hendriks was named the Male Player of the Year by Baseball Australia, and a finalist for the Western Australian Sports Star of the Year.

After returning to the team in 1989, he was converted to a long reliever. Although he was unhappy in a low-leverage bullpen role and asked to be traded, Aguilera thrived in the role, going 6–6 with a 2.34 ERA, 80 strikeouts and 7 saves in 36 appearances. When Dwight Gooden was placed on the disabled list in early July 1989, the Mets began looking for a veteran starting pitcher via trade rather than promote from within into the open rotation slot with young pitchers such as Aguilera, Kevin Tapani, and David West rumored as trade bait. After the Mets lost their seventh game in a row ahead of the trade deadline, Aguilera was included in a last-minute deadline deal, along with West, Tapani, reliever Tim Drummond and a player to be named (which on October 16 became reliever Jack Savage), for Minnesota Twins ace Frank Viola.

In his first major league appearance, a nationally televised Sunday night game against the San Francisco Giants, Szuminski pitched a scoreless inning, in the process recording the third out against home run champion Barry Bonds on a long fly ball to the warning track. During his brief stint in the majors, Szuminski, on account of his military background, was selected to toss out the ceremonial first pitch for the Padres on their first ever "Military Appreciation Night" (April 15, 2004) to honor the large armed forces community in the San Diego area. Due to the Padres' early-season successes, Szuminski, a long reliever out of the bullpen, saw limited game action. In May 2004, he was dropped from the Padres' 25-man roster and returned to the Cubs (per terms of the Rule 5 draft) after incurring just 37 days of major league service.

Shepherd was selected by the Red Sox in the 13th round of the 2014 MLB Draft out of Kentucky. Shepherd started his professional career in 2014 with the Class A Short Season Lowell Spinners, where he was 4–3 with a 4.05 ERA in 16 games, working mostly as a long reliever in 33⅓ innings. He was promoted to the Class A Greenville Drive in 2015, and he excelled with a 3–0 record, a 1.23 ERA and one save in innings. But Shepherd spent much of the year with the Class A-Advanced Salem Red Sox, posting an 0–2 record with a 3.61 ERA and six saves in 28 games, including a 6.57 strikeout-to-walk ratio (46-to-7) in innings. Later in the year, he also pitched well in the Arizona Fall League with the Scottsdale Scorpions, appearing in 11 games, while going 1–1 with a 3.97 ERA and one save in innings.

In 2012, Hacker re-signed with the Giants. He was called up to make his first career start for the Giants on April 27 due to an earlier doubleheader. He allowed three runs and got the loss (his first career decision) but recorded seven strikeouts in six innings as the San Diego Padres defeated the Giants 5–3. After the game, he was returned to Fresno to make room for Steve Edlefsen on the roster. Hacker was selected to the PCL All-Star Game in 2012. On August 17, he was called up to be used as a long reliever soon after Brad Penny was placed on the disabled list. The next day, he gave up a run in innings (a home run by Carlos Quentin) in an 8–7 victory over San Diego. He gave up a run in one inning (a home run by Will Venable) in a 7–1 loss to San Diego on August 19.

45s in 1963. (See Kamka, Christopher, "Most 3-walk games by a teenager," twitter.com, July 2, 2018) the Nationals could not recapture the lead. Although Scherzer recovered to record a quality start, the Red Sox handed him the loss in the 4–3 contest, extending to five a string of quality starts for the Nationals pitcher in which he did not receive enough run support to win. The Nationals were ultimately swept by the Red Sox, as July 3 starter Tanner Roark gave up nine runs in a blowout loss and July 4 starter Erick Fedde, who took the ball for the Nationals' traditional morning game at home on Independence Day, exited in the second inning after experiencing a 15-mph drop in velocity on his sinker in the start after he threw 115 pitches on June 30 to earn his first career win; the home team went on to a 3–0 shutout at the hands of the Red Sox, with hitters providing long reliever Matt Grace and the rest of the Nationals bullpen no run support.

Despite losing the veteran infielders, who were claimed off waivers, the Nationals rode key hits by outfielder Andrew Stevenson, recalled from Class-AAA Syracuse in a related move, and second baseman Wilmer Difo, assuming everyday duties from Murphy, to win on August 21 in the opening game of a series against the division-rival Philadelphia Phillies. Stevenson hit his first career home run, a two-run pinch-hit blast that tied the game, and Cordero earned his first career win in relief, with Herrera wrapping up the 10–4 win hours after being activated from the disabled list as Milone was listed with left shoulder soreness. Long reliever Matt Grace also singled for his first career hit in the game. The following night, the Nationals overcame the struggles of just- reactivated starter Stephen Strasburg and bounced back from a one-run deficit to stun the Phillies on first baseman Ryan Zimmerman's eleventh career walk- off home run, a bomb to right field that scored Soto from second base.

This thinness on their squad also meant that they lacked much capability in pinch hitting. Phil Niekro was the ace of Atlanta's pitching staff and led the team with a 17-4 win/loss record and a 3.61 ERA in 35 starts. Niekro also led the team with 144 strikeouts. Gene Garber led the team with 30 saves in 69 games, allowing just 4 home runs with a 2.34 ERA in 119.1 innings pitched. Steve Bedrosian was the best long-reliever posting an 8–6 record and a 2.42 ERA in 64 games. Despite having a 4.87 ERA in 27 games started, Bob Walk finished with an 11–9 win/loss record, tied for second on the team in pitching wins with Rick Camp who accumulated a record of 11–13, and a 3.85 ERA in 51 games, including starting 21 games. Rick Mahler rounded out the '82 Braves pitching staff with a 9–10 win/loss record and a 4.21 ERA in 33 starts over 205.1 innings pitched. Pascual Pérez, who was poised to breakout in the 1983 season, started just 11 games and made 5 relief appearances in the '82 season.

Tanana signed as a free agent with Texas Rangers on January 6, 1982. His contract was for $375,000 a year for two years, plus a $75,000 signing bonus. His first season with the Rangers, his ERA went up to 4.21, only 0.20 higher than his previous season with the Red Sox. However, the Rangers lost 98 games, and Tanana was responsible for 18 of those, tying with Matt Keough for the AL lead in losses while only earning seven wins. For the first time in his career in 1983, Tanana was not a part of his team's starting rotation, opening the season as a long reliever for the Rangers. He had a 1.57 ERA in eight games, though, and returned to the rotation June 10, allowing one run and three hits in six innings in a 4–2 victory over the Twins. Through August 22, he had a 7–4 record, but he went on a five-game losing streak to end the year, finishing up 7–9. He appeared in 29 games (22 starts), had a 3.16 ERA, and struck out 108 in innings.

Washington's pitching staff performed well over the course of the month, behind only the Chicago Cubs in team ERA. Closer Jonathan Papelbon, acquired in July 2015, more than doubled his save total with the Nationals (seven in 2015), notching eight saves during the month to one blown save against his former team, the Philadelphia Phillies. Starters Joe Ross and Stephen Strasburg were undefeated in games they started, with Ross credited with three wins—he left one other start on April 20 with a lead that was held by the bullpen, but the scorers awarded the win to long reliever Yusmeiro Petit since Ross exited the game early due to a finger blister—and Strasburg earning four. Reliever Óliver Pérez picked up the win in the Nationals' longest-ever regular season game, a 16-inning matchup with the Minnesota Twins at Nationals Park on April 24, after tying the game in the 15th with a bunt that was mishandled for a two-base throwing error by Twins catcher John Ryan Murphy and then pitching a shutout frame before right fielder Chris Heisey hit a solo home run for a walk-off win.

This matchup of the two Korean ace pitchers is often considered as one of the best moments in Korean baseball history. In 1988, Sun was 16−5, notching 200 strikeouts and a 1.21 ERA, and won the ERA and strikeout titles. In 1989, Sun finished the year by winning his second Pitching Triple Crown, leading the league in wins (21), ERA (1.17) and strikeouts (198). On July 6, 1989, he recorded the fifth no-hitter in a complete game shut-out in the KBO history against the Samsung Lions. In 1990, Sun won his third Pitching Triple Crown, going 22−6 with a 1.13 ERA and 189 strikeouts, allowing only one home run in 190.1 innings pitched. In 1991, Sun grabbed the fourth of Pitching Triple Crowns with a 19−4 record, a 1.55 ERA, and 210 strikeouts. During the 1992 season, Sun was on the disabled list for several months. Meanwhile, Tigers' manager Kim Eung-ryong intended to use him as a long reliever or closer, and Sun was eventually moved into the closer's role as he came back from injury. In 1992, he saved 8 games and compiled a 0.28 ERA in 32.2 innings pitched. In 1993, his first full season as a relief pitcher, Sun finished with a 10−3 record, a league-leading 31 saves, and 164 strikeouts in 126.1 innings pitched.