One of the game’s most exciting and emotionally exhausting acrobats has fallen from his tightrope, leaving his team scrambling for a foothold.
That’s the thing about rooting for a closer to collapse. Eventually, thanks to the volatility of the assignment, the told-you-so crowd will be correct.
After countless examples of a steadied wobble here and a saved misstep there, the former starter who helped save the Cardinals’ season by securing 24 of the 28 save opportunities he’s been handed — and 22 of 24 since former closer Jordan Hicks had season-ending Tommy John surgery — failed to stick his biggest landing yet.