The Philadelphia Phillies have allowed the Arizona Diamondbacks to play their way back into the National League Championship Series. After jumping out to a commanding 2-0 lead, the Phillies traveled to Arizona where they have dropped the last two against the Diamondbacks' weaker pitching.
In both losses in Arizona, it was a collapse of the bullpen that allowed the Diamondbacks to steal a win, evening the series.
In both losses, the game-winning runs were placed squarely on veteran closer Craig Kimbrel.
At 35 years old, Kimbrel has seen it all. The righty has become one of the most vaunted closers in the game's history, but he is a far cry from his most dominant seasons spent with the Atlanta Braves during the earlier part of his career.
During those five seasons, Kimbrel compiled a minuscule 1.43 ERA with 186 saves in 289.0 innings pitched.
Since then, Kimbrel has been effective, flashing moments of brilliance coupled with years of struggle, such as his 2019 season with the Chicago Cubs when he posted a 6.53 ERA in just 20.2 innings pitched. He also has dealt with some injury.
This season has been a mixed bag for Kimbrel while on his one-year deal with Philadelphia.
When Kimbrel was signed, he was never meant to be the closer, much less in one of the most meaningful games in the NLCS in October. But here Kimbrel is, attempting to close out two games in the span of as many nights and blowing just as many save opportunities, in a position his manager placed him.
One must respect who Kimbrel is, what he has done and what he is still capable of.
In the same vein, Phillies manager Rob Thomson must also realize that Kimbrel is just another viable arm in the bullpen, not the vaunted closer he was earlier in his career.
Putting him in that position in this atmosphere only makes him a liability. That was blatantly clear the past two evenings.
Philadelphia is still a World Series favorite, just not with Kimbrel as the go-to arm to close out a high-leverage game.
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