CLEVELAND, Ohio – Cody Allen went from the bottom to the top in less than a day. It is the best part of being a big league closer and the worst part.
On Thursday afternoon at Progressive Field, Allen started the ninth inning with the Indians and Seattle tied, 7-7. Managers use their closers in tie games in the ninth inning or later when they're at home because the save situation is off the books for them. The percentage move for a manager is to use his closer, usually his best reliever, to protect the tie and try to win it in baseball's version of sudden death – the bottom of the ninth.