The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
Relief pitchers are keys to playoff run
It fell to catcher Roberto Perez to come up with a nickname for the Indians’ corps of relief pitchers.
It fell to him because as a catcher, he works closely with all of them in game situations.
It fell on him, also, because there wasn’t a relief pitcher to be found in the Indians clubhouse on Sept. 26, about three hours before the first pitch of the opener of a three-game series against the Minnesota Twins at Progressive Field.
“I’m pretty sure they’re all out on the field, getting in their pre-game work,” said Perez, who is in his third full season with the Indians and now is splitting the starts at catcher with Yan Gomes.
Perez, whose locker is next to the one used by Indians closer Cody Allen, chuckled when challenged to slap a monicker on the bullpen that went into the game against the Twins with an aggregate 2.84 ERA, lowest in the American League.
In 468 1/3 innings, Tribe relievers had surrendered AL-low totals of 391 hits, 166 total runs, 148 earned runs and 145 bases on balls.
“You caught me off guard a little. Give me a minute to think about this,” Perez said, smiling.
Closer to 20 seconds elapsed when Perez said: “I got it. Call them warriors.”
Asked for the Spanish translation of that word, Perez, a 28-year-old native of Puerto Rico, again smiled and said: “Guerreros.”
So, there it was, Guerreros,
pronounced “gwe RARE- ose.”
“They’re the best bullpen I’ve seen — tough, hardworking, well-prepared for any situation,” Perez said. “They always want the ball. That’s why I call them warriors.” With five games remaining in the regular season and rosters expanded since Sept. 1, the Indians have 13 relief pitchers on the squad. That number will shrink when the Indians reduce the roster to the required 25 players for the start of the best-of-five AL Division Series on Oct. 5.
Sure to be in the bullpen for the playoffs are Allen (66 games, 3-7, 2.51 ERA, 29 saves), left-handers Andrew Miller (54g, 4-3, 1.49 ERA) and Tyler Olson (28 g, 1-0, 0.00 ERA), Bryan Shaw (77g, 4-6, 3.55 ERA), Joe Smith (56g, 3-0, 3.48 ERA), Nick Goody (54 g, 1-0, 2.70 ERA), Zach McAllister (49 g, 2-2, 2.64 ERA), Dan Otero (51g, 3-0, 2.90 ERA) and Mike Clevinger (25g, 11-5, 3.13 ERA).
The latter is a 26-year-old right-hander who performed admirably as a starter but has been moved the bullpen for the playoffs by Indians manager Terry Francona.
The bullpen faltered a bit in the series opener against Minnesota, giving up four runs in an 8-6 loss.
Shaw absorbed the loss in his major league-high 77th appearance, giving up three runs on three hits in one inning.
It was a rare off night for the Guerreros, who Perez thinks are the recipients of expert handing by Francona.
“He’s been at this a long time and has managed in so many big games,” Perez said of Francona. “He’s the best there is at handling pitchers.”