Cecil sets dubious record for April losses
They say you can't win em' all, but in Brett Cecil's case, you don't win any.
The Toronto Blue Jays lost 4-3 in walk-off fashion to the Tampa Bay Rays on Saturday night, and on the mound for the loss was Cecil, who dropped his opening month record to 0-5, the most relief losses by a pitcher at the end of April since 1913.
The left-hander isn't a starter, but his performance in this latest debacle was a microcosm of the short season. Cecil surrendered hits to all three Rays batters he faced in the ninth inning without recording an out.
With that, his ERA ballooned to 5.79, a long way from his career-best 2015 campaign where he finished with a 2.48 ERA and five losses over the course of the entire season.
But despite his shoddy record, Cecil believes his stuff is working.
"That’s the worst part about it," he said. “You feel great, you’re throwing the (crap) out of the ball and you’re still getting these results.
"As long as I’m feeling good, what are you going to do? I’m not going to sit at my locker and pout about it," he added. "Relievers have got to have short memories. For some guys it’s one of the hardest things, and it is hard, but I do have a short memory."
The positive vibes end there though, as manager John Gibbons has had just about enough of blowing late leads.
"Sooner or later you’ve got to win some close games for crying out loud," he said. “No secret about that. Some teams do it."