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Romo began the 2014 season well, with a 1.65 ERA and 12 saves through May 9. However, Romo struggled after that, recording five blown saves and a 9.00 ERA from May 9 to June 30. Romo was removed from the closer role on that date, with the Giants announcing their intention to go to a closer-by-committee. Used as the eighth inning setup man for the remainder of the season, Romo appeared 30 times after July 1 and had a 2.10 ERA over 25 \u20443 innings with 32 strikeouts and 5 walks. He finished the year 6\u20134 with a 3.72 ERA, 59 strikeouts in 58 innings, and 12 walks over 64 games. In save opportunities, he was 23 for 28. In the 2014 NLDS against the Washington Nationals, Romo pitched three scoreless innings over three games. He took the loss in Game 2 of the NLCS against the Cardinals after allowing a game-ending home run to Kolten Wong. He recovered to earn the win in Game 3 by retiring Matt Holliday as the Giants won in extra innings. In the 2014 World Series, Romo appeared in two games, pitching 2\u20443 innings with four strikeouts and no runs allowed, earning his third World Series championship with the Giants.<\/p>\n
On December 22, 2014, Romo and the Giants finalized a two-year contract worth $15 million. He spent the 2015 season serving as the eighth-inning setup man for Casilla, who had reclaimed the closer role. After posting a 5.19 ERA before the All-Star break, Romo posted a 1.15 ERA in the second half of the season. He did not allow a run over 14 innings between July 11 and August 21. On August 18, he struck out all three batters he faced in the eighth inning of a 2\u20130 win over the Cardinals. In 70 games, he had an 0\u20135 record, two saves, a 2.98 ERA, and 71 strikeouts in 57 \u20443 innings pitched.<\/p>\n
For most of his career, Romo has struggled against left-handed batters. After experimenting with using his changeup on them in 2014, he decided to try throwing a harder, faster slider to them in 2015. Since then, he has returned to trying to get them out with the changeup.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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2016<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Romo pitched in a mere four games in 2016 before being placed on the disabled list on April 15 (retroactive to April 11) with a strained right flexor tendon. Though he went on a rehab assignment in late May, there were setbacks in his recovery, and he was not activated from the disabled list until July 4. On August 30, at AT&T Park, Romo pitched in his 500th career game, a 4\u20133 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks. On September 19, Bochy removed the struggling Casilla from the closer role. Though he listed Hunter Strickland and Derek Law as the pitchers most likely to get save opportunities, Romo would be the one picking up the save in four of the Giants final 12 games. In 40 games, he had a 1\u20130 record, four saves, a 2.64 ERA, and 33 strikeouts in 30 \u20443 innings. The Giants reached the playoffs for the fourth time in Romo’s tenure with them, winning the NL Wild Card Game against the New York Mets. With the Giants leading Game 3 of the NLDS against the Chicago Cubs by a score of 5\u20133, Romo was called on to get the save in the ninth inning. He walked Dexter Fowler to lead off the inning, then gave up a game-tying home run to Kris Bryant. However, the Giants ultimately won 6\u20135 in 13 innings. In Game 4, he relieved L\u00f3pez with two runners on in the ninth and nobody out. Ben Zobrist had an RBI double against him, and Romo was replaced on the mound by Will Smith. Zobrist later scored, and the Cubs rallied from three runs down to win 6\u20135, eliminating the Giants from the playoffs. After the season, Romo became a free agent.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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2017<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Romo signed a one-year, $3 million, contract with the Dodgers on February 15, 2017. “In talking to Sergio, last year we had one of best bullpens in baseball and that lends itself to unselfishness,” manager Dave Roberts said of the signing. “Sergio definitely is up for that. A lot of times the eighth inning, but he’s up for anything.” In 30 games for the Dodgers, he posted a 6.12 ERA in 25 innings before getting designated for assignment on July 20.<\/p>\n
On July 22, 2017, the Dodgers traded Romo to the Tampa Bay Rays for cash considerations or a player to be named later (PTBNL). He spent the rest of the season in Tampa Bay’s bullpen, posting a 2\u20130 record and a 1.47 ERA in 25 games. In 55 games combined between Los Angeles and Tampa Bay, he had a 3\u20131 record, no saves, a 3.56 ERA, and 59 strikeouts in 55 \u20443 innings pitched. After the season, he became a free agent.<\/p>\n
Romo also represented Mexico in the 2017 Caribbean Series, appearing in one game. Next season, he appeared in three games for Mexico in the 2018 Caribbean Series. Following the 2016, 2017, and 2018 MLB seasons, Romo played for the Charros de Jalisco of the Mexican Pacific League.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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2018<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Romo re-signed with the Rays on a one-year, $2.5 million, contract on February 13, 2018. That season, Rays manager Kevin Cash decided to experiment with using an opener, a pitcher designated to pitch the first one to three innings at the beginning of a ballgame. The rationale for the move was that starting pitchers tend to be less effective the third time they face batters. Instead, having a relief pitcher start the game will allow the regular starter (or “bulk guy”) to enter later and reach later innings without having to face as many hitters. After 588 major league relief appearances, Romo was the first pitcher utilized in this role, as he made his first career start on May 19, 2018. He pitched one scoreless inning against the Los Angeles Angels, striking out the side before getting replaced by Ryan Yarborough in an eventual 5\u20133 victory. He started again the next day, pitching 1\u20443 scoreless innings in a 5\u20132 loss. This made Romo the first pitcher since Zack Greinke in 2012 to start on consecutive days. He went on to make three more starts on May 25, May 27, and June 1, reaching the second inning in only the last of those three. However, in June, the Rays began using him as their closer, as \u00c1lex Colom\u00e9, who had started the year in that role, had been traded on May 25. Romo would serve as the closer the rest of the year. On July 25, after he recorded the last two outs of the eighth inning, he was moved to third base to start the ninth so left-hander Jonny Venters could pitch to left-hander Greg Bird. After Venters retired Bird, Romo returned to the mound, retiring the last two hitters to record the save. During a 13-game stretch from August 9 through September 17, he converted nine consecutive save opportunities and posted a 1.54 ERA. In the midst of that stretch, on August 19, Romo recorded his 100th career save in a 2\u20130 victory over the Boston Red Sox. For the season, Romo appeared in a career-high 73 games, fourth in the American League (AL), while making a career-high five starts. He had a 3\u20134 record, a 4.14 ERA, and 25 saves over 33 opportunities. In 67 \u20443 innings, he struck out 75. After the season, he became a free agent.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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2019<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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On February 12, 2019, Romo signed a one-year, $2.5 million deal with the Miami Marlins. He served as the closer up until late July, recording 17 saves in 38 appearances. Romo only blew one save for the Marlins all season, converting his first seven chances and his last 10 chances with the team. On May 17, he entered a game against the Mets with the bases loaded, no outs in the eighth, and the Marlins up 8\u20134. He allowed two inherited runners to score that inning but did not allow a run himself. Then, he pitched a scoreless ninth, earning the save in the 8\u20136 victory. Through July 27, he had a 2\u20130 record, a 3.58 ERA, and 33 strikeouts in 37 \u20443 innings pitched for Miami. That day, the Marlins traded Romo, Chris Vallimont, and a PTBNL to the Minnesota Twins for Lewin D\u00edaz.<\/p>\n
Romo reached the playoffs as the Twins won the AL Central title in 2019. In Game 2 of the ALDS, he got the first two outs of the eighth inning without surrendering a run; however, the Twins lost to the New York Yankees by a score of 8\u20132. Entering Game 3 with the Twins down 3\u20131 in the eighth inning, he threw a scoreless eighth but allowed two runs in the ninth as the Yankees won 5\u20131, completing a series sweep of the Twins. After the season, Romo became a free agent.<\/p>\n
On December 16, 2019, Romo elected to return to the Twins for the 2020 season, signing a 1-year, $5 million deal with a team option for 2021. The 2020 MLB season did not start until July 24 due to the COVID-19 situation. He again served as the setup man for Rogers, though Twins manager Rocco Baldelli occasionally used him in the ninth instead, as Rogers struggled to repeat his success from 2019. In a 3\u20131 win over the Cleveland Indians on September 11, Romo retired Francisco Lindor on a fly ball to end the eighth inning. As he walked back towards his dugout, he and Lindor began yelling at each other. The benches cleared, though no punches were thrown, and Romo was suspended one game by MLB the next day for his role in the incident. “This is a situation that\u2019s been brewing for a while,” Sandy Alomar Jr., the Indians manager, told reporters. “I mean, Romo likes to dish it. Our guys dish it back. The whole thing about this situation — Romo\u2019s been animated all his career and he\u2019s been in the National League. We don\u2019t know much about him. That\u2019s all it is. If he\u2019s gonna dish it, we dish it back and you have to take it. That\u2019s the bottom line.” In 2020, Romo appeared in 24 games, compiling a 1\u20132 record with 4.05 ERA and 23 strikeouts in 20 innings pitched. He recorded five saves in six opportunities.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n