Arizona Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo isn’t ready to move on from Paul Sewald as his closer, despite the reliever blowing his third consecutive save in a 5-4 11-inning loss to the Atlanta Braves on Monday night.
“I’m not ready to make that decision,” Lovullo stated. “Paul’s been an incredible closer for us, and he will continue to get the ball.”
However, many Diamondbacks fans disagree and are calling for a change. Following the loss at Chase Field, social media was flooded with demands for Lovullo to remove Sewald from the closer’s role due to his recent struggles.
Right-hander Justin Martinez, who has a 3-1 record with a 1.42 ERA and 41 strikeouts in 38 innings this season, has been frequently mentioned as a potential replacement for Sewald.
Just seven days ago, Sewald had an ERA of 0.54. After the three blown saves, his ERA has jumped to 3.93.
The Diamondbacks’ score post on X after the loss to the Braves was overwhelmed with comments suggesting a change at closer:
Do you think the DBacks need to make a change at closer after Sewald’s three straight blown saves?
