Chase Shugart with back-to-back saves for WooSox pitching in high leverage role
The WooSox got back into the win column this past week in their series against Scranton. After much needed wins on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, Worcester desperately needed to stop the five game losing streak they had going in Thursday and did just that.
While riding solid scoreless efforts out of the bullpen, the WooSox were able to string together three straight wins. A major factor in the first two wins was reliver Chase Shugart, who posted his first career AAA save on Thursday and followed it up with another save the very next night.
“He pitched very well, so I kind of have that faith in him.” WooSox Manager Chad Tracy said about Shugart pitching in back-to-back save opportunities. “Once you get to this level, once you get to the big leagues you are going to be asked to throw two and a third and 48 pitches and go back-to-back.”
Shugart is no stranger to closing games. While progressing through the Red Sox minor league system, Shugart has amassed 21 saves between his college and minor league outings. Whether it’s saving games or pitching on back-to-back nights, these opportunities will only help him once he gets that call.
“If there are opportunities to do that it will be nice for them to encounter that here rather than to go to the big leagues and have them face it for the first time.” Tracy added on the opportunity Shugart has had.
“We have the ability to do that at this level.” Tracy said. “When guys have pitched the way that they have, they have pushed themselves into roles where I feel these are guys we are going to use when we have the lead.”
Earlier in the season, we saw AJ Politi assume the closer spot after returning back to the organization following the Orioles selecting him in the Rule 5 Draft. After a few struggles, and according to Chad Tracy “not himself’, we have seen Joe Jacques and Shugart assume the high leverage roles in the bullpen.
Shugart has only allowed runs in three of his ten outings this year. It will be interesting to see what role we see him in now that Kaleb Ort has been optioned to Worcester.
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