Rank relief: Dusty Baker loves him some JJ Hoover

By Taylor on April 14, 2013

This isn’t a one night award for JJ Hoover. Tonight he came in with the Reds down a run and an inherited base runner. He gave up a double that put the Pirates up 3-1. It didn’t matter in the end because that was the final score. The is more death by 100 cuts. Dusty Baker was continually gone to JJ Hoover – he has appeared in 7 of the Reds 11 games and has given up runs in 4 of them. Here are his game logs not including today’s game.

That is not good for a reliever. He took one for the team on opening day, facing 11 Angels hitter in an opening day loss, but that doesn’t really explain the next several outings. Hoover has not had an outing in which he has not let a runner reach base. He now sits at a an ERA of 6.14 on the season. I’m not why Sam Lecure isn’t being given these opportunities. I have a feeling that Tony Cingrani will take Cueto’s spot for a bit and then be good enough to replace Mike Leake, putting him back in the bullpen.