Michael Fulmer can’t lose the Chicago Cubs closer’s role if he’s not officially the closer.
And if they have no official closer, you can’t really have a closer controversy.
But that won’t stop Cubs fans from blaming manager David Ross when a game is blown late, as happened again Thursday in a 6-2 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
After his second blown save in three opportunities Thursday, Fulmer’s status has gone under the microscope.
“I trust Michael Fulmer, I’ll make that statement for sure,” Ross said Friday. “When you feel like you’re not at your best, and you care a lot, which Michael Fulmer (does) about this team and performing for this team and organization, you might try a little bit harder.
“I don’t know that trying harder in our game is the best formula for success. Getting back to making sure he has a plan to execute what he’s good at and continue to look at the information and see if we can fine-tune some things. That’s the only problem solving we’re trying to do right now. I don’t think I don’t trust Michael Fulmer at the back end of games.”
Cubs President Jed Hoyer didn’t sign a traditional closer this offseason, though Fulmer, a converted starter who had 14 saves with the Detroit Tigers in 2021, joined the bullpen at the start of spring training in February.
On Thursday he entered the ninth inning of a tie game with the Dodgers and yielded back-to-back singles, a long flyout to center, a nine-pitch walk to Jason Heyward and a grand slam to James Outman. The result was the 6-2 loss.
“The ball is just not spinning the way it should right now,” Fulmer said afterward. “I don’t know what’s going on, but I better figure it out pretty damn quick.”
Fulmer and Brad Boxberger are Ross’s two main closing options, though Ross repeatedly has said he would manage his bullpen depending on the situation.
Fulmer is 0-2 with one save and a 7.56 ERA in nine outings. The Cubs bullpen ranked 17th on Friday with a 3.88 ERA, converting two of five save opportunities.
Asked before Friday’s game if he was hesitant to use younger relievers in closing situations, Ross mentioned he used Mark Leiter Jr. last season to close out three games. Leiter, 32, posted all of his saves from mid-August to late September in games that had no consequence because the Cubs were well out of contention.
Now the Cubs can’t afford to experiment in such an important role. Ross already has been widely criticized on Twitter for Fulmer’s two blown saves.
“Everybody was set up for their area of best pockets — trying to line those as best as we can with the guys we have available,” Ross said. “At the end of the day (Thursday) it didn’t work out. That’s baseball. If we continue to pitch like that, at the end of the day we’ll be fine.
“I just want to continue to try and put the right guy in the right area to succeed for that inning, and if that ends up being the ninth, like it was last year sometimes, then so be it.”
Ross said he has an idea of how he’ll use his leverage relievers before the game begins, like most managers in the modern era. But things are always subject to change.
“I love mapping things out in my head before the game, but rarely does it play out the way I want,” he said.
Ross had no worries about his bullpen Friday in the 13-0 win over the Dodgers. Drew Smyly threw 7⅔ scoreless innings, and the offense gave him plenty of support in a 17-hit attack.
Fulmer will get a chance to redeem himself soon, and the Cubs likely will need the veteran in late-inning situations if they hope to contend.
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