Counsell not ready to make Hader the closer despite Brewers' ninth-inning challenges

It’s no secret that the Milwaukee Brewers have struggled to protect ninth-inning leads since closer Corey Knebel went on the disabled list a week ago with a significant hamstring injury.

The first three times the relief corps tried to convert saves in Knebel’s absence, they failed. That string of misfires finally ended Wednesday afternoon in a 3-2 victory in St. Louis, but not before things got a bit hairy in the bottom of the ninth.

With that backdrop, manager Craig Counsell has been asked why left-hander Josh Hader hasn’t been assigned closer duty. Hader arguably has the best stuff of any reliever on the staff and is off to a sensational start to the season.

Counsell has been steadfast in keeping the second-year pitcher in his current role of bridging the gap between the starting pitcher and late-inning relievers, picking critical points in games with certain hitters due up for the opposition.

“If he gets outs, it’s working,” Counsell said. “We can save him until the end and not get to the ninth (with a lead), or we can use him when we have been.

“I’d rather make sure we’re using him, and be able to use him in multiple innings and good matchups. And pick the hitters a little bit. I think it’s a better way for us to go.”

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There is no denying that Hader has flourished in his current role, especially considering he was a starting pitcher in the minors. With the Brewers fighting for a playoff spot before falling one game short last season, he showed he could make an impact, posting a 2.08 ERA over 35 outings with 68 strikeouts in 47 2/3 innings.

Hader achieved that success despite being a one-pitch pitcher, for the most part. He threw his lively fastball nearly 82% of the time, mixing in an occasional slider and even less-frequent change-up. That's how good his fastball is.

In need of starting pitching, especially with Jimmy Nelson recovering from shoulder surgery and likely to miss most if not all of the first half of this season, the Brewers could have shifted Hader back to his previous role. Instead, they decided not to mess with success, leaving him in relief.

Baseball has become a bullpen game, and general manager David Stearns and Counsell believe Hader has more value in that role at present. Hader continues to be a dominant force, posting an amazing 17 strikeouts in 7 2/3 innings with only two hits allowed. He has a 2.35 ERA and 0.652 WHIP.

Hader, 24, encountered one of his few hiccups Wednesday in St. Louis when he allowed a lead-off home run in the ninth by Tommy Pham – a drive to left-center that originally was ruled a double before video review showed it sneaked over the fence. Hader retired the next hitter, Matt Carpenter, before Counsell went to Matt Albers for the final two outs.

Hader had pitched a 1-2-3 eighth inning, and Counsell said afterward he might have allowed him to finish the game if not for the home run making it a one-run game. But Counsell said he still preferred to use Hader for multiple innings rather than assigning him the closer’s role in Knebel’s absence.

“I still think where he’s most valuable is picking a segment of hitters at some point in the game for him to get through,” Counsell said. “It feels like he doesn’t pitch some days, but when you pitch multiple innings you have to have rest off that.”

Closers often are needed in three consecutive games, sometimes four, and Counsell likely isn’t ready to put that kind of workload on Hader at his age and experience level. But Counsell made it clear he doesn’t feel the need to “baby” Hader at this stage.

“He threw 40 innings the last three months (of last season),” Counsell said. “That’s an 80-inning pace (over a full season). That’s a very solid pace for a reliever. If we got 80 innings out of any reliever, you’re going to be leading the league or really darn close.”

Trying to keep hitters guessing, Hader has used his slider more this season, dropping his fastball percentage to 69%. With his unusual, lower-arm delivery and slinging motion, not to mention the movement he gets, his fastball remains his best pitch, but Hader is always looking to improve.

As for working before the ninth inning, Hader said, “As long as I can help the team keep the games where they are when I come in, that’s all you can really ask for. Those can be big situations, too. I know that.

“I’m just ready to pitch whenever. Losing Corey as a closer is a tough situation, but when we get called on, no matter what the situation is, we have to get those outs. Any guy can be in that situation. We have guys who can step up while he’s out.”

One argument for giving Hader the ninth inning is his strikeout ability, a skill that made Knebel so successful last season (126 strikeouts in 76 appearances). The Brewers have been tormented by dribblers and bloop hits in the final inning, showing the importance of putting balls in play, but Counsell isn’t ready to factor bad luck into his decisions.

“I don’t think we can game plan against soft contact,” Counsell said. ”I’m sure everybody says it, but rolling ground balls past the pitcher have haunted us this year. I can’t manage against that. Nobody can. You kind of throw your hands up on those.

“We need to get through some of these games with more than a one-run lead. If we’re going to put every reliever on a one-run cushion, every time they go in the game, you can put the best closer out there and his save percentage is going to go way down.

“If we play one-run games every night, it’s good baseball to watch and there’s plenty of second-guessing. That’s why we love the game. That’s life.”