A closer is supposed to make everyone around him smarter. From the general manager who signed him to the manager who suddenly has to think for only eight innings to the starters who trust him with the ballgame. Hernandez has had the opposite effect. It is the hardest job in sports, he will tell you. And he's not far off.
People expect closers to be automatic.
But it would help if Hernandez were at least himself. With the White Sox last year, he saved 27 of 31 games, an 87 percent success rate. Instead, he has been at 72 percent. Add another 15 percent, and the Rays have five more victories. Five more victories, and the 70-victory goal is well within reach.