Jeanmar Gomez out as closer; Joaquin Benoit in

Pete Mackanin has made a change at closer: Jeanmar Gomez is out, and Joaquin Benoit is in.

Benoit – 0.00 ERA, 4 K in 3 IP – will take over for Gomez, who allowed a two-run home run in his first outing on opening day – a save against Cincinnati – and allowed a game-tying three-run home run Sunday against Washington.

OPINION: Gomez wasn’t fit for the role anyway, even if the role itself is a bit unnecessary these days. Hector Neris was passed over in the process; I thought he should’ve been the choice, but Mackanin likes Neris as a multi-inning fireman type.

Well, fine. Just use him that way. Don’t stick to an inning-by-inning approach if the situation calls for something different.