SAN FRANCISCO When Royals reliever entered Game 3 of the World Series on Friday night, he became the first person ever to appear in the College World Series and the profe sional World Series in the same year. By the time the rookie southpaw left the mound, he was an important part of that gave Kansas City a 2-1 series lead.
Finnegan, the 2014 first-round pick who pitched in Omaha with TCUbut bypa sed the Royals Triple-A outpost there, pitched in seven games in the regular season. Friday was his sixth appearance of the playoffs, and an important one, as he inherited the tying run on base, and kept it from even reaching scoring position, let alone coming around.
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Comparing the experience of October to that of June was as easy for Finnegan as it was to get pinch hitter Juan Perez to fly outand Brandon Crawford to strike out, andpa s Game 3 along to Kansas Citys lockdown duo of Wade Davis and Greg Holland for the eighth and ninth innings.
This beats it, Finnegan said. This was a lot more fun. The College World Series definitely was fun because I was in college, but now Im in the https://www.gbpackersapparel.com/jermichael-finley-jerseys big leagues. Getting to live two dreams in one year in four months, actually I mean, its been a lot of fun. I could get used to doing this.
The Royals are getting used to having Finnegan as part of the mix, but his rapid ascent is just as impre sive to his teammates as it is to anyone else.
I mean, 21 years old, pitched in the College World Series, now hes in the World Series and he acts like nothings changed, said third baseman Mike Moustakas. Its awesome to watch him go out there and throw that ball. He commands his pitches well, hes fearle s out there on the mound. Its just awesome to watch him do work. Its like nothing. You look at him https://www.gbpackersapparel.com/dean-lowry-jerseys on the mound, you wouldnt know that hes a young guy, that hes 21 years old, that hes hardly pitched in the minor leagues, hardly pitched in the big leagues. Hes just got that composure. Something about him is special.
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Finnegans year has been a whirlwind. In addition to being the No. 14 pick in the draftand pitching in two World Series, his major league debut included a strikeout of Derek Jeter at Yankee Stadium.
Sounds fake, huh? Finnegan said. I mean, it doesnt sound real at all. It doesnt sound like it ever happened, but its awesome. I couldnt tell you how https://www.gbpackersapparel.com/allen-lazard-jerseys I felt in that moment (of the major league debut), because I think I blacked out, but I mean, it was awesome, getting to face a legend. It was a lot of fun and being part of the best bullpen in the league is awesome.
That part of the equation is what made Finnegans deployment Friday a little strange. Ned Yosts usual formula is to close games with Kelvin Herrera leading into Davis and Holland, but Herrera had entered the game in relief of starter Jeremy Guthrie in the sixth inning, and allowed an inherited runner to score before emerging with the lead intact.
Yost allowed Herrera to take a rather comical at-bat in the top of the seventh, so he clearly was going to start the bottom of the frame. It also had been clear from the time he came in and walked the first batter he faced that Herrera was not his usual self, so Finnegan began warming up.
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I mean, its easy to understand Herrera didnt have his best stuff, Finnegan said. He was still getting outs, thank God thats pretty impre sive, that a guy who didnt have his best stuff could still get outs. But, I mean, I knew if somebody else got on base, I was coming in, because his pitch count was getting up a little bit and were going to need him the rest of the series. So, I knew I was coming in, and then I did.
Even though Finnegan knew he was coming in if Herrera allowed a baserunner in the seventh inning, that did not immediately happen. After Herrera walked Hunter Pence to start the frame, Yost stuck with the righty against lefty-swinging Brandon Belt. Only after Belt struck out did https://www.gbpackersapparel.com/sterling-sharpe-jerseys Yost call on Finnegan.
While armchair managers might disagree with Yosts strategic decisions, he has the full faith of his team. Why wouldnt he? Theyre two wins from winning the World Series.
When he makes a move, its for us to just go and play ball, said outfielder Lorenzo Cain, who had a marvelous game in right field after a decision by Yost to move him there and start Jarrod Dyson in center, leaving Nori Aoki on the bench. We cant worry about what hes thinking. We just know that if youre in there, you better be focused and ready to go. Whatever he does, its fine with all of us. We know that, and weve just got to step up and get the job done.
In his first appearance of his second World Series of the year, that was exactly what Finnegan did.