CLEVELAND — As the Cleveland Indians scratched and clawed their way through September following a rash of injuries to the starting rotation, it was the bullpen that picked up the extra innings, as well as the slack.
Entering the American League Division Series against the Boston Red Sox and baseball’s best lineup, the back end of the bullpen might end up needing to do it again. That trying September, which involved multiple “bullpen games,” has only increased the club’s confidence in one of the best bullpens in the game.
“I think the way the bullpen has kind of come together and been used in the course of the last six weeks really had a playoff-type environment to it, or feel to it,” Chris Antonetti, the Indians’ president of baseball operations, said during Tuesday’s workout at Progressive Field. “So, I think our guys are really prepared going into the postseason and positioned to be successful.”
In the last two months of the regular season, the back end of the Indians’ bullpen – which includes Cody Allen, Andrew Miller, Bryan Shaw and Dan Otero – combined for a 1.84 ERA and 0.79 WHIP, along with 117 strikeouts in 1022/3 innings. They effectively held the pitching staff together while Carlos Carrasco and Danny Salazar missed time and Josh Tomlin briefly lost his touch.
“We had some guys with quick hooks,” Shaw said. “I think there were a couple times with bullpen days. We’re always ready, whether it’s the first inning or the ninth inning. … If the starter gives us five and we’re winning 3-1 and he gets a couple of guys on base and struggles a little bit in the sixth, we can cover it. If it happens in the third, we can cover it. If it happens in the ninth, we can cover it. We’re ready down there whenever the phone rings, whenever (Indians Manager Terry Francona) calls us, we’re ready to go.”
The Indians are going with a three-man rotation in the ALDS, with Trevor Bauer, Corey Kluber and Josh Tomlin. One advantage of the postseason format for the Indians is the built-in off days will allow Francona to use the back end of his bullpen every night, knowing they’ll get a rest after Games 2 and 4.
“You have to recognize that going in, that there’s no reason to not pitch a guy, even if you’re down a couple, when you have a day off the next day,” Francona said.
Instead of needing six or seven innings each night from a starter, the Indians can likely have Miller throw at least one inning per game, if not two. Otero has often come in during high-leverage situations. Shaw has acted as the ever-reliable, often-used setup man. Allen has held his own as the club’s closer, even with Miller sitting there as a possible option.
Miller especially is a weapon in the postseason – a major reason the Indians sent some of their top prospects to the New York Yankees to get him. Miller ended the season with a 1.45 ERA and a 123-to-9 strikeout-to-walk ratio.
“Obviously, we paid a steep price to acquire Andrew, but we feel he’s one of the best, if not the best reliever in the game for a lot of reasons,” Antonetti said. “Not only with how dominant he can be, but his ability to pitch multiple innings, to be able to impact left-handed hitters, right-handed hitters, and his willingness to pitch at any time. To have someone who’s able to do those things and pitch in the most meaningful parts of the game, that can be a competitive advantage.”
The Kansas City Royals won last year’s World Series with the bullpen as the backbone of their club, especially in the postseason, when they could bring in their vaunted trio each night. The Indians might need their bullpen to perform similarly.
“You want to leverage certain guys in your bullpen, that’s for sure,” Francona said. “And we will do that to the best of our ability. You don’t want to get in the way of a starter. But you don’t want to go too long. In a short series, that’s challenging. That’s one of the challenging things.”
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