Belise blowing the game was unsurprising simply based on recent results: he was coming off a disastrous appearance four days prior in which he allowed three earned runs on three hits over 1.1 innings against the Jays. But is there more than just recency that biased me against Belisle?
Let’s look at how often the eighth reliever got used in 2017. I’m going to exclude starters from this right away, even those who appeared in relief (Bauer once, Clevinger six times, Salazar four times, Merritt once), and also (to my great sadness) exclude Michael Martinez and his perfect ERA.