Street latest closer to fail as Phils prevail
It has become a familar trend in this MLB postseason ... a team gets to the ninth inning with a lead, puts in its supposedly dominant closer, and watches the opposition rally.
It happened twice tonight in Game 4 of the National League Division Series between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Colorado Rockies. Down 2-1 in the bottom of the eighth inning and facing elimination, the Rockies rallied for three runs. Much of their damage was done against Ryan Madson, who took over closing duties late in the season for the embattled Brad Lidge.
With a 4-2 lead, the Rockies sent out Huston Street - he of the 35 saves and 3.06 ERA during the regular season - to nail down the victory and send the series back to Philadelphia. Instead, an ill-time walk of Chase Utley set up Ryan Howard to deliver a game-tying two-run single and Jayson Werth to deliver the go-ahead RBI on a single. Street didn't even survive the inning.
Every team that has been eliminated so far had their closer blow at least one game that contributed greatly to their demise. Minnesota's Joe Nathan, who has been great for years, at least in the regular season, was simply awful as the Twins were swept by the Yankees. Jonathan Paplebon is also supposed to be one of the best closers in the game, but he blew Game 3 in Boston as the Los Angeles Angels completed a sweep. Ryan Franklin doesn't have the closing track record of Nathan, Paplebon or even Street for that matter, but he was fantastic in 2009 ... until he blew a ninth-inning lead in Game 3 for the Cardinals after the Los Angeles Dodgers had nobody on base with two outs.
They say you need a few things to win in the playoffs - a dominant starting pitcher or two, good team defense and a shut-down closer. I'm guessing that all four teams that have been knocked out already thought they were in decent shape in that last regard.
