St. Louis Cardinals rumors: Is Greg Holland relieving Bud Norris of closer duties already?

Is Greg Holland ready to take the St. Louis Cardinals closer position from Bud Norris already?

The St. Louis Cardinals are on a roll, after sweeping the lowly Cincinnati Red for the second time this season, maintaining their position atop the National League Central — thanks to that 7-0 mark against their divisional foes.

Mike Matheny is also giving many thanks to Bud Norris, where the St. Louis Cardinals have found themselves a new closer. Or have they?

In the St. Louis Cardinals 9-2 victory over the Cincinnati Reds on Sunday, Bud Norris pitched the 8th inning, while Greg Holland closed things out in the 9th. If you look at Sunday’s box score, it seems that Greg Holland is back to his intended role as the team’s closer.

However, not everything is as it seems, with Bud Norris still the 9th-inning option — at least for now. With the game still in question at 3-2 heading into the bottom of the 7th, St. Louis Cardinals starter Miles Mikolas‘ day was done, after seven strong innings. Mike Matheny then decided to go to his bullpen, with not many options to chose from.

Jordan Hicks and Tyler Lyons both were unavailable, after pitching extended innings in previous games; while Dominic Leone is no longer trustworthy in that particular spot. Mike Matheny chose to go with Bud Norris for the 8th and (likely) the 9th inning, with the game still hanging in the balance at the time.

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However, Paul DeJong crushed a three-run homer in the bottom of the frame, and Bud Norris was already warmed up and ready to go. After pitching a one-two-three half of the 8th, the St. Louis Cardinals tacked on three more runs in the bottom half — the game was now securely in hand with a 9-2 advantage.

Greg Holland pitched the final inning, but for entirely different reasons than you would think. He needs some work, after missing all of Spring training, then struggling in his first appearance in a St. Louis Cardinals uniform.

Before recording a perfect 9th inning yesterday, Greg Holland’s results were shaky. In 3 1/3 innings, he had walked eight, striking out only two batters, and had given up three earned runs in key spots.

Thus far, Greg Holland is unable to locate his slider, which allows hitters to key in on his fastball — rendering him ineffective.

Pitching against the Cincinnati Reds in a non-pressure situation is just what the Doctor ordered, to get the veteran pitcher feeling right — where he looked much more comfortable and like his former, dominant self. But, he’s not entirely ready to resume his closing duties quite yet.

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For now, Bud Norris is still the 9th inning guy for the St. Louis Cardinals, with Sunday’s events fools gold, of sorts. However, once Greg Holland regains his command and confidence in pressure situations, he’ll likely return to his familiar role as the team’s closer — with Bud Norris now an insurance policy for the Redbirds — giving them options late in games and critical situations for 2018.