frustrated by a lack of finishing touch until Martinezs bril from corse178's blog
WASHINGTON -- When it comes to the postseason, managers arent always saving their best for last. Danilo Jersey .Closers have taken the mound for five-out saves, in non-save situations and even as early as the fifth inning so far in the 2016 playoffs. In one perplexing case, the best closer in baseball this season didnt take the mound at all.No longer is it easy for a manager to merely hand the ball to his closer for three outs in the ninth. Chicago Cubs skipper Joe Maddon considers managing the bullpen his biggest concern on a daily basis, and its all magnified in October when one decision backfiring can mean the end of the line.Thats what happened when Baltimore Orioles manager Buck Showalter used six other relievers in an 11-inning loss at the Toronto Blue Jays in the AL wild-card game, leaving Zach Britton in the bullpen despite the All-Star closers 47 for 47 save success rate and 0.54 ERA in the regular season. Showalter was immediately second-guessed by everyone except his fellow managers who know their next call to the bullpen could be scrutinized just as much.I never question what anyone else does because youve got to make tough decisions, said Blue Jays manager John Gibbons, who got a five-out save and a six-out win from closer Roberto Osuna in the AL Division Series against Texas. You know what, most people dont ever agree with your decisions regardless.Showalter said playing on the road and the course of the game affected the decision-making process, not his philosophy. Across the majors, traditional closer practices are being challenged.In Game 1 of the Indians ALDS against the Boston Red Sox, Clevelands Terry Francona brought Andrew Miller into the game in the fifth inning because hes really good. Miller threw two scoreless innings and got the victory, brushing off the idea that what he did was unprecedented.The playoffs are a different animal, Miller said. Theres 30 closers, and most teams have a setup man. Theres seven (relievers) for most teams. The other five guys have to pitch from the first inning to the ninth every day. ... Whenever Tito asks anybody to pitch, were all going to be ready to go.Maddon tends to be less tolerant in the playoffs than usual and everyone has a shorter leash. Rookie Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts has learned quickly that this time of year, you act a little more aggressively.Francona going to Miller in the fifth was about as aggressive as it comes, though players wonder if its more the start of a trend than an anomaly.Bullpens are being used a lot differently than they have in the past, as far as when youre going to use guys and when youre going to get your closer in the game for five outs, Dodgers third baseman Justin Turner said. The whole closer-pitches-the-ninth-inning thing, (it) doesnt mean those are always the biggest three outs of the game. Sometimes those three outs come in the eighth or the seventh.After preparing him with inning-plus saves during the season, Roberts wasnt afraid to use closer Kenley Jansen for two outs in the eighth and then three in the ninth in the Dodgers win over the Washington Nationals in Game 1 of the NLDS. That same night, the Nationals Dusty Baker put closer Mark Melancon in while trailing in the ninth to get important outs and give his team a better chance.Days off during the playoffs make it different than the regular season as far as bullpen usage, Baker said. Then theres also the immediacy of the situation that takes over.Theres in essence no tomorrow, Red Sox manager John Farrell said. So you may have the ability and the luxury to be a little bit quicker with some of your decisions, not balancing recovery or rest.Roberts bases decisions off his staff, his pitching coach and his gut. Sometimes a managers gut backfires, like when the New York Mets Terry Collins put closer Jeurys Familia into a tied NL wild-card game and watched as he allowed a three-run homer to the San Francisco Giants Conor Gillaspie.Hes got 51 saves and over 90 saves in two years? Ill take that, said Collins, while acknowledging Familias three blown saves against the Kansas City Royals in the 2015 World Series. He was the guy I wanted out there in the ninth inning, and well try to do a better job to make sure hes a little more rested going into the postseason.With no perfect recipe for relief, managers often resort to using top-tier starters out of the bullpen. The Blue Jays did it with David Price and the Mets with Noah Syndergaard last year, and over time that strategy has had mixed success.Managers generally want to put their players in the best positions to succeed. 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LOUIS -- Roman Polak was celebrating even before Alexander Steen scored the winning goal in Saturdays 4-2 win over the Carolina Hurricanes.EAST HARTFORD, Conn. -- Ariel Martinez ended Cubas long Gold Cup drought with three goals Tuesday, and Jeniel Molinas last-second score lifted the Cubans into the quarterfinals with a 4-0 rout of overmatched Belize. It was Cubas first victory in 14 Gold Cup games, including 12 losses. The Cubans finished the opening round 1-2 after losses to the United States and Costa Rica, but the four-goal victory allowed them to advance over Martinique as one of the top third-place teams. "For me, it was like winning the World Cup," Martinez said. "It is a great achievement for us and it made me very happy." Belize (0-3), which finished with 10 men, was eliminated. After Martinez completed his hat trick, the Cubans pressed for the fourth goal that would keep them in the tournament. They came close a handful of times, then Molina put in a short right-footed shot and his teammates stormed off the bench into the corner of the pitch to mob him. Cuba advanced one other time, in 2003. "It was a great game for us," Cuba coach Walter Benitez said. "We put in as much effort as we needed to. It was a tremendous result." By far the best player on the field, Martinez connected with left-footed drives in the 38th and 63rd minutes. He completed the hat trick with a short right-footed shot in the 84th, and Cuba threatened several times to get a fourth. Each time a Cuban failed to hit the mark, he either held his head in frustration or stomped the ground. Rodrigo Caio Jersey. But deep into injury time, with nearly every Cuban player in Belizes box, Liban Perez headed a pass that Molina converted. In the first half, Martinez moved from right wing toward the middle just outside the penalty area, then unleashed a shot from 18 yards that beat diving goalkeeper Woodrow West to his right just inside the post. Cuba had nearly every good chance in the first half, but was frustrated by a lack of finishing touch until Martinezs brilliant goal. Before beating West, Martinez had been stymied a half-dozen times by the Belize keeper, including twice in one minute. Wood remained sharp for much of the second half, but was no match for Martinezs slaloming move through the defence for a 12-yard shot to make it 2-0. Perezs pass freed Martinez for his third score, and suddenly Cuba sensed a chance to advance. It waited until the dying moments to seize the opportunity and will play Panama on Saturday in Atlanta. Belizes first Gold Cup concluded with three losses by a combined 11-1 margin, and a quick trip back to Central America. The Belizeans made news last week when two players, Wood and Ian Gaynair, said they were approached to fix a game against the United States, but rejected the offer. Belize finished short-handed when Gaynair drew his second yellow card in the 81st minute. Cuba struck twice after that. NFL Jerseys China Cheap NFL Gear China NFL Jerseys White Cheap NFL Autographed Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys Throwback China NFL Jerseys China NFL Jerseys White ' ' '
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