Cubs 2 Dodgers 1 10 innings
Last night Takashi Saito did his best Rick "Wild Thing" Vaughn impersonation. "Ball 4, Ball 8, Ball 12, and Vaughn has walked the bases loaded. How can hitters lay off pitches that close?". Saito entered the game in the 9th inning with a 1-0 lead. Lowe and Zambrano had brought a pitchers duel this far and Joe Torre turned to his closer to preserve the 1-0 lead. Unfortunately for Torre, he no longer signals for Mariano Rivera in the 9th inning. He has Saito. In his defense, Saito has been a solid closer since coming over from Japan, 71 saves in just over 2 years. However, once he threw his first pitch in the 9th I knew he was going to blow this game. There are times when a pitcher enters a game and you just know there is no way this guy is closing out this game. Saito walked 2, gave up 1 hit, missed first base covering on a ground ball to James Loney, and threw 37 pitches during the blown save. It was painful to watch, but I couldn't look away, I had to see how he was going to blow the game. I am not sure what it was about the situation that made me realize he wasn't closing this game, but I was certain of it. I am not alone with this skill. Two years ago the Tigers were facing the Yankees on ESPN. Rivera was not available to preserve a 2-run lead so Torre turned to Kyle Farnsworth (that may have been a low point in his NY tenure). Before the inning started a I received a phone call from a good friend - all he said was "There is no *&$$#!!!-ing way Farnsworth closes this game." (edited for children) Sure enough the Tigers score 3 in the ninth to win. I received a text from the same friend: "Its not so much me, as it is Farnsworth". Truer word have never been texted.
Advice to Joe Torre or any other manager: If your closer has a look like there is no this is going to end well. Pull him, get anyone else, because you are not winning this game with this pitcher.
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