When Toronto Blue Jays reliever Liam Hendriks got out of a one-out, bases loaded jam in the 7th inning against the Boston Red Sox yesterday, his escape act seemed to signal a watershed moment in this transition from a starting pitcher to a reliever:
Hendriks was originally signed by Minnesota from the Australian baseball hotspot of Perth, and made his debut with the Twins in 2011. He made 28 starts over 3 seasons with them, but never was able to catch on as a full-time member of their rotation.