Closer’s shaky play pens Astros’ demise
Giles will no longer get ball in ninth after rough Game 4 outing, writes Rob Longley.
HOUSTON For all the excellence in starting pitching and the explosiveness in respective batters we’ve seen at times, the key to the World Series may now rest elsewhere.
The deeper we go in the bestof-seven series, the more the bullpens have become a factor in the 113th Fall Classic. And as the MLB championship approaches the elimination stage, that’s hardly a relief for the Astros.
The series may have been squared at 2-2 prior to Sunday’s Game 5, but Houston essentially finds itself without a closer.
The Los Angeles Dodgers, meanwhile, may have the most thorough bullpen going, a significant edge now that each team is getting a second look at opposing starters.
All sorts of factors can intervene before the champagne sprays and the trophy is raised, but the edge clearly points toward the National League.
The big development has been the inability of Astros closer
Ken Giles to throw a strike and/ or get an out. He self-destructed in the ninth in Saturday’s Game 4, essentially swinging the door open for the Dodgers in a fiverun inning.
And because it has become an undeniable trend, on Sunday Houston manager A.J. Hinch acknowledged what had become agonizingly obvious — Giles won’t be getting the ball in the ninth anytime soon.
“I’m not sure who it will go to, but it most likely won’t go to Ken (on Sunday),” Hinch said. “I’ll try to lift the burden of carrying the end of the game pressure with him. Obviously he’s had a rough go of it.”
Hinch said he told Giles he would get the ball again in the series, just that he wasn’t sure what the situation and stakes would be.
“He understands and he wants to be there for me, the coaches and ultimately he wants to win a World Series,” Hinch said. “It’s a tough setting when you are a closer and you feel like you let the team down. He’ll be on board whenever we hand him the ball.”
Though Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen has had a couple of uncharacteristic slips — allowing home runs in each of his last two appearances — there is no indication that his confidence is shot. But in a series where both closers have played a role in blowing leads late, the uncertainty has created an added element.
“(Giles) feels like he hasn’t done his job and that’s how closers always feel when you don’t get the last out in a winning game,” Hinch said. “The finger’s pointed at you. That’s unfair.
“Unfortunately, we always give the attention to the guy who has the ball in his hands at the (end of every game). That’s good when you’re going well and it’s a burden when things don’t.”
MORE FOR MORROW
The stellar work of former Toronto Blue Jays starter Brandon Morrow continues to be a huge story for the Dodgers’ bullpen. His setup work makes for a potent transition from the starter to Jansen.
Morrow has pitched in 11 of the 12 Dodgers games this postseason and has allowed just two runs for an ERA of 1.46. He was at it again in Game 4 when he was perfect over 11/3 innings after starter Alex Wood gave up his first hit of the game — a home run to George Springer.
The key for Morrow was finally accepting that his days as a starter were over. Former Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos — now a Dodgers vice-president of baseball operations — helped Morrow believe the move would be worthwhile.
“What I knew about him is he’s an intelligent guy, big arm, really good stuff,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “There’s just a point when he signed (last winter) when he resolved himself to pitching out of the pen. I think that was a major hurdle for him mentally. Once he conceded that, it allowed him to thrive in this situation.”
It wasn’t the first time Anthopoulos tried, either. He made the same suggestion when they were both with the Jays and Morrow declined.
“Everything we put in front of him, he responded really well,” Roberts said. “He’s created every opportunity for himself.”
ROUGH RIDE
Houston first baseman Yuli Gurriel may have escaped immediate punishment in terms of a suspension for his racist actions toward Dodgers pitcher Yu Darvish, but he hasn’t heard the last of it.
The Astros are expecting an icy reception for the Cubanborn first baseman for Tuesday’s Game 6 back at Dodger Stadium.
“I think everyone is aware it’s going to be a rough setting for him,” Hinch said. “I don’t think you can convince 55,000 fans to turn the page as fast maybe as the two teams have.
“Yuli has a good heart. He made a mistake. But he’ll pay for it in the looming (five-game suspension next season), but also with the reaction in L.A. I’m sure it will be on the aggressive side.”
QUICK HITS
One notable lineup change for the Dodgers for Game 5 — third baseman Justin Turner was shifted to DH after tweaking his calf the night before. Roberts said the red-bearded wonder will be good to return to the hot corner
I’m not sure who it will go to, but it most likely won’t go to Ken (Giles on Sunday). I’ll try to lift the burden of carrying the end of the game pressure ...
for Game 6. Logan Forsythe manned third for the Dodgers in Game 5 … Will the long ball be less of a factor when the series shifts to Los Angeles? Many felt the baseball was flying in games 1 and 2 because of the heat with temperatures topping 40 C. The predicted high for Tuesday is 18 C … More from the big starting efforts in Game 4 when the Dodgers’ Wood (a one-hitter through 52/3 innings) and the Astros’ Charlie Morton combined to make history. Morton allowed four baserunners (three hits and one hit batter) and Wood allowed three (two walks and a home run.) It marked the first World Series game in which both starters allowed four baserunners or less.