Relief pitcher is a term used in baseball to describe a player who comes into the game from the bullpen to replace the starting pitcher. However, there are several other synonyms that can be used interchangeably with relief pitcher, such as bullpen pitcher, late-inning pitcher or middle-inning pitcher. Some other common terms for a relief pitcher include set-up pitcher, closer, fireman and stopper. These terms are used to define different roles a relief pitcher may play on a team, such as closing out games or serving as an elite set-up man. Whatever the synonym, the job of a relief pitcher is to provide relief to the team by coming in and shutting down the opposing team's offense.