51s relievers are struggling to shut down foes

Wally Backman isn’t one to hide his emotions.

So after the 51s rallied for an 8-7 win Saturday following a sloppy night of play, the 51s manager voiced his displeasure in a clubhouse meeting.

“I’ve been disgusted with the way we’ve played for the last couple of weeks,” Backman said before Sunday’s victory. “The bullpen’s been a big part of it.”

Certainly the bullpen isn’t the only part of the team’s problems — pitching coach Frank Viola called some of the team’s defensive plays “absolutely high school-like” and the baserunning “God awful” — but for the past couple weeks, the 51s have seen almost a complete ineffectiveness from their relievers.

In the past 14 games, the bullpen has given up 52 runs.

“When things go well, everybody seems to go well. When things go poor, everything seems to go poor. And over the last two weeks, what can go bad in the bullpen has gone bad,” Viola said. “Usually we pick each other up. We can’t even pick each other up. We don’t know where to start.”

On Saturday, Backman made a switch, telling Erik Goeddel that he’d take over closing duties for the time being.

It’s a role Goeddel is unaccustomed to but he locked down his first save in a scoreless ninth inning on Sunday. His only save before that was in college.

“It’s something new for me but obviously if you’re in the bullpen that’s kind of the job you want so it should be fun,” Goeddel said. “I’m excited for it.”

After compiling a 2.43 ERA in 35 games for the Mets last season, Goeddel struggled in the early going with the 51s this season.

Mechanically, he said he felt out of whack. In mid-May, the Mets summoned him for a callup that never happened. He said around that time, he started to figure things out.

“I feel like I would fix something and then two days later, I’d find something else that was wrong,” Goeddel said. “It was just like a never-ending list of problems, but hopefully we’ve gotten to the end of the list and I’ll be able to keep throwing well for awhile here.”

Before Sunday, Paul Sewald had received most of the closing opportunities this season, but Backman made the switch after Sewald gave up runs in six straight outings.

Sewald responded with a scoreless inning on Sunday, picking up the win.

Chasen Bradford, too, had pitched consistently well out of the bullpen but has now allowed earned runs in his past three games.

“Paul and Chasen … you can’t say that they lost the job but they haven’t really taken the job and run with it so let’s give somebody else an opportunity and it’s not a knock on anybody,” Viola said. “The bottom line is this, whoever comes out of that bullpen and goes to the big leagues is not going to close anyway. (Jeurys) Familia’s up there so it doesn’t matter what your role is.”

Meanwhile, as the bullpen endures struggles — its combined ERA is 5.92 and just three relievers (Josh Edgin, Bradford and Sewald) are sporting sub-4.00 ERAs — the 51s are searching for answers.

Backman started sending scouting reports down with his relievers, though both Backman and Viola said execution, not preparedness is the problem.

“We are as prepared as anybody at the Triple-A level as far as what the book is on the hitters we’re facing. The problem is you’ve got to be able to make those pitches to the guys you’re facing and we have not done that,” Viola said. “We have the game plan but if you can’t pitch to the game plan or pitch to the strengths of yours to the game plan, you’re not going to be successful and that’s what we’re going through right now.”

INJURY UPDATES

If there’s any good news for the 51s bullpen, it’s that reinforcements are on the way.

Edgin, who is 1-0 with a 0.00 ERA in 12 appearances, is back with the 51s after a short trip to New York to get his elbow checked out.

Edgin had Tommy John surgery last year and Viola said the reliever received a cortisone shot because a stitch was rubbing against a nerve and irritating him.

Chase Huchingson, too, will be back with the 51s soon. Huchingson has been rehabbing in Port St. Lucie, Florida, as he deals with a sore elbow.

He was 0-0 with a 3.60 ERA in five innings for the 51s before being placed on the disabled list on April 20.

Huchingson pitched Friday and the plan is for him to pitch in back-to-back extended spring training games before rejoining the 51s likely within the next week.

Contact reporter Betsy Helfand at bhelfand@reviewjournal.com