2 Weeks in a row DEFENSE FAILED to Close!!

SaintsFanInLA said

Let's say a baseball team leads 8 innings at a score of 2-0, then at the top of the 9th inning, the listing team scores 3 runs to make the score 2-3, but at the bottom of that 9th inning, the pitcher gives up a 2-run homer to lose the game 4-3.

Then the next game that same team is losing 3-1 going into the 9th but score 3 runs going into the top of the 9th to make the score 4-3 but then gives up a another 2-run homer to lose the game 5-4.

Whose fault is it?

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Bad relievers and terrible, incompetent closers who are also defined as being part of the larger pitching staff. Baseball, like football, is situational and a great starting pitcher who has a 2-0 lead going into the 8th inning also 80-95% of the time needs more runs as a cushion to ensure his good day stands or isn't forked up by a inept, mediocre set of relievers/closers.

A good MLB team like Braves, Yankees, Astros not only have decent-to-good starting pitchers, they also have a trio of great relievers and closers who hold on and MAINTAIN those leads their starters worked their arses off to leave them with. Thats why teams like Atlanta, Cleveland, especially Houston Astros, and Yankees make the playoffs every year and teams like the Reds, Pirates, or even would-be contenders like Mariners don't because they have below average closers/relievers or suck in close games.

A strong set of relievers/closers are one huge, integral difference between why their teams win 88, 89, or 90 wins and why others go 76-86, or finish 4-5 games out of the WC race like Mariners and Twins.