How Game 3's postponement affects the Indians bullpen
BOSTON -- The rain pounded Fenway Park Sunday, turning the stadium into a wet and unplayable arena. Instead, the Boston Red Sox and Cleveland Indians will play Game 3 on Monday, with the Indians holding a 2-0 lead and trying to end this American League Division Series as early as they can. While the 26-hour delay might have few practical consequences, the one that stands out most is how the Indians and manager Terry Francona can now deploy their bullpen.
It maybe the most important question still lingering over the next three days, if there games played on all three. With the off-day Tuesday wiped away -- Game 4 is scheduled for that day now -- Francona must decide how aggressive he can get Monday night and the impact it will have.
“I think it's easier when you know you're not playing, it's easier to go to your bullpen earlier,” he said Sunday. “Saying that, I think when you have a lead in a short series you try to win because you're never guaranteed that you're going to have the lead the next day. So I think you try to win every game you can. You might be less inclined to chase a win a little bit, but again, in a short series you're never guaranteed you're going to have a lead, so when you have a lead you go for it.”
When he called Andrew Miller into the game in the fifth inning Thursday in Game 1, Francona was hailed for his ingenuity but it came at a cost. There was no certainty that he could be used in Game 2 -- and Miller was not as he and closer Cody Allen, who also threw 40 pitches, both sat while the Indians bullpen got six outs in a win. Francona made that decision knowing that he would have, at least, a day before Game 3 for his best reliever to rest. There will be no such buffer anymore.
While neither Miller nor Allen have pitched since then, they could be called on for three consecutive games.
“That doesn’t make a difference,” set-up man Bryan Shaw said. “We’ve done it all year. I’ve done it quite a few times, Cody, Andrew, all of us have done it. The other guys have done it. It’s just another couple outings for us. It’s not a big deal.”
Shaw was only partially right. Shaw, who had a 3.24 ERA and appeared in an A.L.-leading 75 games, appeared in three straight games three times. Allen has throw on three consecutive days four times this season, and did not allow a hit or a run and struck out six over four innings on those third appearances. Miller, however, has not pitched more than two straight days this year, so if he does it will be for the first time in 2016 and in a playoff game -- Game 5, no less.
“It seems those guys get better the more they pitch too,” Josh Tomlin, who will start Game 3 for the Indians, said. “I’m sure they’re enjoying it but they also do a great job when they’re used two, three days in a row. So I’m not sure if it’s a good thing for them or kind of a break.”
It’s possible that Francona will have to make the choice with his bullpen early. Tomlin had a 4.40 ERA this year and averaged more than a baserunner per inning. He did not make it through the fifth in seven of his 29 starts and lasted just five in another two games.
While he pitched well in September, with a 1.75 ERA over his last four starts, he did not face an offense as good as Boston’s -- who still are fearsome after leading all of baseball in runs scored this year. But he did last 7 ⅔ innings against the Red Sox in his only start against them this year, giving up three runs on Aug. 15.
Yet, it’s clear that Francona treats October differently than the six that preceded it. Trevor Bauer and Miller can attest to that. And if the Indians have a lead Monday, he does not seem intent on being restrained with his bullpen if he doesn’t need to be.
“We stay in the moment and try to win the game at hand because there's so many unknowns,” Francona said. “Like I said, you might not have the lead, it might rain, you end up worrying about things that may not even happen. If you have a chance to win a game, that's what's right in front of you and that's what's important. And then if you don't, then you figure it out the next day.”
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