The A?s had four hits in eight innings Wednesday and then doubled their total in the ninth. Pouncing all over Jose Valverde with their season down to its last three outs, the A?s scored three runs to beat the Tigers.
In so doing, the A?s left Jim Leyland with a major dilemma: who does he call on if he has a lead in the ninth in Thursday?s Game 5?
Valverde hasn?t had his good splitter at any point in the season. He was rather successful anyway, converting 35 of 40 save chances. However, his strikeout rate took a big dive and was easily the lowest of his career. As a result, his batting average against, while still quite good at .229, was the highest mark of his career.
That Valverde remained as decent as he was in 2012 can largely be attributed to the deception in his delivery. His unique motion and release makes him pretty tough to pick up. And if he doesn?t like the matchup, he?s not afraid to work around a tough lefty to get to a righty he thinks he can handle.
But repetition isn?t Valverde?s friend at this point. The A?s saw him in September and hit him. They?ve now seen him twice in a week. If they get him yet again in Game 5, it?d be no surprise to see things again get ugly in a hurry.
Maybe Justin Verlander will make it moot. No starter in the postseason is more capable of getting 27 outs all by himself. If Verlander does need to leave after seven or eight with a lead, then the A?s may need to try mixing and matching righties Al Alburquerque and Octavio Dotel and lefty Phil Coke in the ninth. Alburquerque is the Tigers? best reliever right now, but he?s never faced the kind of pressure he would Thursday. He also hasn?t really been tested on back-to-back days since returning from an elbow injury.
As for Joaquin Benoit, who would have been the fallback a week ago, he?s allowed runs in four of his last six appearances, and tonight may well have made it five if Brandon Moss hadn?t gotten himself out with two men on in the eighth. He could always pitch the eighth again, but he scarcely seems like a better bet than Valverde at the moment.
If Leyland does go back to Valverde in the ninth inning Thursday, it?d be sheer stubbornness. There?s no place left for that with the season on the line.
Source: http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/10/11/the-tigers-cant-turn-back-to-jose-valverde-now/related
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