Labels are not important to Mike Scioscia, which is why the manager is reluctant to anoint Keynan Middleton as the Angels' closer even though it's apparent to anyone following the team that the hard-throwing right-hander has seized the ninth-inning role.
"Keynan's last couple looks have been in save situations, but he could very easily be pitching in high-leverage situations that might pop up in the seventh and eighth innings," Scioscia said. "The long and short of it is, he's in that group of guys who are going to pitch in the back of our bullpen.