Get Me Outta Here: Marcus Stroman is in Dire Need of Some (Quality) Relief

Toronto Blue Jays RHP Marcus Stroman ranks 25th in baseball with seven quality starts on the season. He sports a 5-1 record on the year, with an adequate 1.25 WHIP but a very disappointing ERA of 4.46. He has allowed three or fewer earned runs in seven of his 11 starts. His worst four starts have resulted in one loss and three no-decisions.

In those four starts he hes given up five, four, seven, and seven runs, all of them earned. There's a common theme in those starts: they're four of the five this year in which Stroman was pulled from the game mid-inning.

Taking a closer look at the run lines and game logs from those four starts indicates Stroman may be able to share some of the blame for the late collapses with manager John Gibbons and the leaky Blue Jays bullpen.

Start No. 2: April 8, vs. Boston Red Sox

Stroman was pulled with one out in the bottom of the fifth and the Blue Jays holding a 7-2 lead. Stroman had loaded the bases before giving way to RHP Jesse Chavez. Chavez gave up a grand slam to the first batter he faced, Brock Holt. Each of the three inherited runners scored and were charged to the starter.

Start No. 5: April 25, vs. Chicago White Sox

RHP Brett Cecil was brought in to replace Stroman with the Blue Jays holding a 5-1 lead in the top of the seventh inning, this time with two outs. Once again, the bases were left loaded. Cecil promptly surrendered a single to White Sox OF Adam Eaton, plating two of the inherited runners. SS Jimmy Rollins singled in the proceeding at-bat, scoring OF Austin Jackson, the third and final inherited runner.

Start No. 9: May 17, vs. Tampa Bay Rays

This one went poorly for Stroman from the very start. The Rays scored in each of the first three innings to grab a 5-2 lead by the end of the third. They recorded eight hits, with three being of the extra-base variety. Stroman was lifted with two out and two on in the top of the sixth, with Pat Venditte striking out OF Steven Souza Jr. for the third out, stranding both runners.

Start No. 11: May 28, vs. Boston Red Sox

Stroman cruised through the first three innings, allowing just one single and one double. He gave up a leadoff home run to SS Xander Bogaerts in the fourth and then a double to DH David Ortiz in the next at-bat, but he escaped the inning with just the one run. The problems escalated in the top of the fifth, with Boston tacking on four more runs off five hits.

The Red Sox added two more in the sixth, after a home run by 1B/3B Travis Shaw scored a leadoff ground rule double by OF Jackie Bradley Jr. After OF Chris Young reached on an error and stole second, Stroman struck out C Christian Vazquez for the first out of the inning and was then removed for Chavez.

Of the 23 combined earned runs allowed by Stroman in his worst four starts of the season, 17 were allowed to score with Stroman still in the game, while each of his six inherited runners scored.

The Blue Jays' bullpen ranks 28th in baseball in terms of allowing inherited runners to score at 40 percent; the league average is 31 percent. This would result in just two of Stroman's seven runners touching home.

By removing just the four extraneous earned runs from Stroman's worst four starts, his season ERA drops by nearly a half run to 4.00. Combine these with the four runs which were scored by the Red Sox, after Stroman should have been removed with one out in the top of the fifth in start No. 10, and his ERA dips to a much more respectable 3.53 for the season.

It's no surprise each of Stroman's worst four starts have occurred at home in Rogers Centre. Manager John Gibbons feels pressure from Stroman as well as the fan base to keep the fan favorite in the game for as long as possible. The shaky Toronto bullpen also forces the hand of Gibbons.

Stroman needs three keys for improvement this year. He needs to build up his endurance in order to last deeper into games like a true ace. He also needs his manager and coaching staff to notice the warning signs earlier on and lift him from the game at the proper time. Most importantly, he needs help from his friends in the bullpen.