Should the A's Have Pulled Mason Miller in the Ninth Against the Miami Marlins?

It's not too often that Mason Miller is unable to close out a game, but on Saturday the Miami Marlins were able to hang five runs on the A's closer en route to a comeback 9-6 win over the green and gold. Marlins right fielder ended it by smacking a grand slam over the wall in left-center on the first pitch he saw.

Unsurprisingly, manager Mark Kotsay said after the game that Miller just didn't have his best stuff on Saturday. "Mace has been really great all year...he just didn't have his best stuff in terms of command. He hit the leadoff guy, and then a couple of walks kind of led to that inning. It's just not normal for him."

Just 16 of Miller's 28 pitches were strikes, which is 57%. On the season, which includes Saturday's loss, Miller has a strike percentage of 67%, so his command was certainly not where it typically is. In the majority of his outings this season, he has been simply overpowering, so this game against the Marlins was definitely a departure.

The only appearance that Miller has had out of the bullpen that comes close to this one was against the Colorado Rockies last season at the Oakland Coliseum when he gave up five runs (three earned). The big difference between the two games is that Miller was actually out there for a second inning of work in extra innings, and it was that second frame where the Rockies got him.

Miller also threw 26 pitches, 20 of which were strikes in that one, so it wasn't a command-based performance.

There was a slew of fans that were wondering why Kotsay didn't go to the mound to take his closer, who was clearly struggling to locate his pitches, out of the game. He wasn't asked about that postgame, but the reasoning is likely fairly simple.

In order to get Miller the ball in the ninth, the A's had already sent out Grant Holman, T.J. McFarland, Tyler Ferguson, and Justin Sterner. The group didn't allow a hit in their three innings of work, though Ferguson walked a pair in the seventh. Three of those arms have sub-1.00 ERAs on the year, while Holman and Sterner have yet to allow a run.

Each of those four, in addition to Miller, are considered the key arms in the bullpen. If the A's are leading a game, you're likely to see some smattering of those guys on the bump.

While pulling Miller given the trouble he was having may have been the right call, the real question is who Kotsay would have replaced him with, given the arms that had already been used. Long man Hogan Harris, who threw 24 pitches the day before, and Rule 5 draftee Noah Murdock, who also pitched on Friday, were left.

The other option would have been the "joker" out of the bullpen, Mitch Spence, who was a member of the A's rotation a year ago. Since the injury to José Leclerc last week, he has taken on a larger role in the latter innings, but tossing him in to replace an All Star closer with the bases loaded may have been more than Kotsay wanted to throw at him at this time.

That said, this could be a scenario in which Spence could be useful down the line. The plan could soon be to get him some work in the ninth inning in games that the A's have a decent lead, just to get him comfortable in the role if and when he's needed.

Spence has typically received a couple of days in between appearances this season, but whether that is due to limiting his workload or game situations is unclear given the small sample. He has yet to pitch back-to-back games, so they may be easing him into the life of a full-blown relief pitcher.

Last season when he began the year as a long relief arm in the 'pen, he talked about it being important that he found his routine to stay ready each day, using veterans like Ross Stripling for advice on that role. The hard part is finding out when they can hit the weights and train a little bit, because they don't want to be gassed if they're needed that night.

Luckily for the A's, Mason Miller doesn't give up runs too often. It may still be handy to have someone like Spence ready, if a similar situation presents itself later this season, however.