azdad1978
Championship!!!!
Lyon downplays his closer's role
Bob McManaman
The Arizona Republic
Apr. 6, 2005 12:00 AM
Brandon Lyon doesn't bother himself with titles. Yeah, so, he's the new closer out of the bullpen for the Diamondbacks, but that doesn't impress him in the slightest.
"I haven't seen a reaction out of him yet, to tell you the truth," manager Bob Melvin said of the team's biggest surprise story from spring training. "He's pretty stoic."
Lyon went about his business, shutting down a Chicago Cubs lineup down the stretch that had obliterated the Diamondbacks a day before in helping Arizona to a hard-fought 5-4 victory in front of 30,260 at Bank One Ballpark.
There were other stars on this night, and not just the ones you could see through an open roof at BOB.
There was Luis Gonzalez, slugging two home runs off Greg Maddux in his first two trips to the plate, leaving him six shy of 300 for his career.
There was starting pitcher Russ Ortiz, who despite allowing a three-run homer to Todd Hollandsworth early in the game, pitched lights out and summoned every last ounce of energy he had to get through six innings relatively unscathed.
But Lyon, just like he was during camp in Tucson, when he allowed only a single run and a measly four hits during Cactus League play, was the story. He recorded the final five outs for his first save in the majors since June 2003 after having missed all of last season due to elbow problems that eventually required surgery.
"It's just pitching," Lyon said. "I'm not really concerned about the closer's role. They have these little things called saves when you pitch the ninth inning and you're either up by three runs, two or one and if you do good, you get a little stat that says 'save' by it.
"Every other job in the bullpen is just as important."
Well, maybe not on Tuesday.
Lyon shut the door on the Cubs - and got a great play from shortstop Royce Clayton at the end to make it stand up - to at least try to refill the air of optimism that was popped in Monday's Opening Day disaster.
Everybody played a part, though, of course.
Ortiz and the Diamondbacks looked to have caught a break in the fifth after Chad Tracy led off the inning with a single. On Chris Snyder's ensuing grounder to short, it appeared Nomar Garciaparra had tagged out Tracy at second base. The call on the play, however, was safe, which Garciaparra couldn't believe.
With Ortiz batting and facing an 0-2 count, the career .206 hitter slapped a single to right that scored Tracy for a 4-3 Arizona lead. Craig Counsell followed with an RBI single and with runners at first and second and no outs, it looked a little bleak for Maddux and the Cubs.
But Clayton hit into a double play and after Maddux pitched around Gonzalez, Troy Glaus grounded out to end the inning.
Ortiz pitched himself out of trouble, too, and he did it while working with little left in the tank. But after allowing a hit and walking Aramis Ramirez on four straight throws, and getting a nice infield out by Tracy, he induced Derrek Lee to fly out to center after falling behind 3-0 in the count.
"He makes the pitch when he needs to make a pitch," Melvin said.
So did Lyon, whether it was freezing Ramirez on a fastball, baffling Jeromy Burnitz with a sinker, or confounding Hollandsworth with a tight curve.
"Obviously, I'm excited," Lyon said, "but a closer is only as good as his bullpen or his starting pitcher, the guys who get him into that position."
View from the Press Box
Getting the start in place of Koyie Hill, Diamondbacks catcher Chris Snyder blocked several pitches in the dirt - especially late in the game - and without that savvy, Arizona probably doesn't win the game. -Bob McManaman
http://www.azcentral.com/sports/diamondbacks/articles/0406dbacks0406.html
Bob McManaman
The Arizona Republic
Apr. 6, 2005 12:00 AM
Brandon Lyon doesn't bother himself with titles. Yeah, so, he's the new closer out of the bullpen for the Diamondbacks, but that doesn't impress him in the slightest.
"I haven't seen a reaction out of him yet, to tell you the truth," manager Bob Melvin said of the team's biggest surprise story from spring training. "He's pretty stoic."
Lyon went about his business, shutting down a Chicago Cubs lineup down the stretch that had obliterated the Diamondbacks a day before in helping Arizona to a hard-fought 5-4 victory in front of 30,260 at Bank One Ballpark.
There were other stars on this night, and not just the ones you could see through an open roof at BOB.
There was Luis Gonzalez, slugging two home runs off Greg Maddux in his first two trips to the plate, leaving him six shy of 300 for his career.
There was starting pitcher Russ Ortiz, who despite allowing a three-run homer to Todd Hollandsworth early in the game, pitched lights out and summoned every last ounce of energy he had to get through six innings relatively unscathed.
But Lyon, just like he was during camp in Tucson, when he allowed only a single run and a measly four hits during Cactus League play, was the story. He recorded the final five outs for his first save in the majors since June 2003 after having missed all of last season due to elbow problems that eventually required surgery.
"It's just pitching," Lyon said. "I'm not really concerned about the closer's role. They have these little things called saves when you pitch the ninth inning and you're either up by three runs, two or one and if you do good, you get a little stat that says 'save' by it.
"Every other job in the bullpen is just as important."
Well, maybe not on Tuesday.
Lyon shut the door on the Cubs - and got a great play from shortstop Royce Clayton at the end to make it stand up - to at least try to refill the air of optimism that was popped in Monday's Opening Day disaster.
Everybody played a part, though, of course.
Ortiz and the Diamondbacks looked to have caught a break in the fifth after Chad Tracy led off the inning with a single. On Chris Snyder's ensuing grounder to short, it appeared Nomar Garciaparra had tagged out Tracy at second base. The call on the play, however, was safe, which Garciaparra couldn't believe.
With Ortiz batting and facing an 0-2 count, the career .206 hitter slapped a single to right that scored Tracy for a 4-3 Arizona lead. Craig Counsell followed with an RBI single and with runners at first and second and no outs, it looked a little bleak for Maddux and the Cubs.
But Clayton hit into a double play and after Maddux pitched around Gonzalez, Troy Glaus grounded out to end the inning.
Ortiz pitched himself out of trouble, too, and he did it while working with little left in the tank. But after allowing a hit and walking Aramis Ramirez on four straight throws, and getting a nice infield out by Tracy, he induced Derrek Lee to fly out to center after falling behind 3-0 in the count.
"He makes the pitch when he needs to make a pitch," Melvin said.
So did Lyon, whether it was freezing Ramirez on a fastball, baffling Jeromy Burnitz with a sinker, or confounding Hollandsworth with a tight curve.
"Obviously, I'm excited," Lyon said, "but a closer is only as good as his bullpen or his starting pitcher, the guys who get him into that position."
View from the Press Box
Getting the start in place of Koyie Hill, Diamondbacks catcher Chris Snyder blocked several pitches in the dirt - especially late in the game - and without that savvy, Arizona probably doesn't win the game. -Bob McManaman
http://www.azcentral.com/sports/diamondbacks/articles/0406dbacks0406.html
