What’s Going on With the Closers?
nybaseballdigest.com 10/13/2009 — Another playoff game, another closer melts down. This time add the name Huston Street to the list. As of today here are the ERA’s for each of the postseason entrants: Joe Nathan -9.00 Jonathan Papelbon – 13.50 Huston Street – 13.50 Jonathan Broxton – 2.45 Brad ...

Fuentes in the Ninth
baseballmusings.com 10/23/2009 — Brian Fuentes comes on to pitch for the Angels in the ninth, trying to save a 7-6 lead. Update : Damon lines a shot right at Morales at first for the first out. Update : Teixeira flies out to right. Two down. Update : Wow. They are intentionally walking Alex Rodriguez! If Matusi homers, ...

Even the mightiest of closers eventually fall
bluejayhunter.com 10/13/2009 — All it took was less than one week and already the first round of the MLB playoffs are in the books. It was not without controversy what with the botched calls, but for me the storyline that prevailed through most of the series was the fall of many of the teams closers. Jonathan Papelbon, Joe ...

ALCS Game 2 Rewind: I Hate Pie - Yankees 4, Angels 3
monkeywithahalo.com 10/18/2009 — God dammit, I hate pie. And now because Brian Fuentes can’t pitch and because the Angels can’t hit with runners in scoring position and Maicer Izturis didn’t just take the out at first, the Angels got a face full of pie. I hate pie. I really, really do. There is ...

Manuel again turns to Lidge
myespn.go.com 10/12/2009 — Well, Brad Lidge got the job done. It sure didn't look easy, though. Tom Verducci: When the Phillies attempt to close out Colorado tonight and pu...

Brian Fuentes nails it down for the Angels
latimes.com 10/13/2009 — Closer gets the ninth inning to himself and sets down Red Sox 1-2-3. > Closer gets the ninth inning to himself and sets down Red Sox 1-2-3.

Blown Saves Story of Post Season So Far
passion4baseball.blogspot.com 10/13/2009 — You can talk about A-Rod suddenly becoming Mr. October or Sabathia earning his money or Vladamir Guerrero hitting that single or the Dodgers sweeping the Cardinals. The story of the post season at the end of the division series rounds is the blown saves. We had Joe Nathan serving up a two run ...

Closers Struggling This Postseason
truebluela.com 10/20/2009 — More photos » by Rob Carr - AP At this exact moment, the Dodgers still had the lead last night. Browse more photos » If there is ...

Who's more athletic now?
soxandpinstripes.com 10/16/2009 — It makes me laugh when people say things like "the Angels are faster" or "more athletic". What does that mean? They're going to win because they can bench press more? They save .03 seconds when they round the bases? They dive further? The Yankees have been a significantly more efficient base ...

On the Beat: Closing Confidence Tests by John Perrotto
baseballprospectus.com 10/14/2009 — The four LCS teams have different answers for how to protect leads, plus the off-season quietly slips into gear for the other 26.

Angels rue missed opportunities — NY Post: Sports 10/18/2009
The Angels let a slippery ball on a slippery field and Game 2 slip out of their hands, and Brian Fuentes was right, it all came down to a failure to elevate. He meant the 0-2 pitch he threw to Alex Rodriguez leading off the 11th, which the suddenly...

Hellish ending for Angels — NY Post: Sports 10/18/2009
This is Halo Hell. And it's just about frozen over. The terrible weather, the Yankees, the magnificent Mariano Rivera, Mr. A-Rod-tober all were too much to handle for the common-sense-challenged Angels. Now it's back to Southern California for the...

Yankees get walk off on Angels' error — NY Post: Sports 10/18/2009
The world's largest walk-in freezer hosted a sizzling baseball game last night. With a biting wind howling from left field making it feel colder than the thermometer read and the much-anticipated piercing rain arriving in the ninth inning, the Yan...

Angels down but don't believe they're out — SI.com - MLB 10/18/2009
NEW YORK -- As clubhouse post mortems go, the Angels' atmosphere after Game 2 here wasn't nearly as deadly as many. Even after they blew a second straight game in the ALCS that left them in the very unenviable position of being two games down to this ...

Angels find only misery on New York stage — NYDailyNews.com - Baseball 10/18/2009
The Angels responded to bad weather with bad baseball all weekend. Their minds and hands kept failing them. They hit .154 in the two losses. Here they left 16 men in base.