PITTSBURGH _ There have been times in recent weeks when, headed into the game, Cardinals manager Mike Matheny had lefty Brett Cecil set aside as the team's likely closer for the day.
That could be happening more often in the near future.
Encouraged by outings by Cecil and Trevor Rosenthal on Friday night in Pittsburgh and then watching Seung Hwan Oh continue to struggle vs. lefties in the ninth, Matheny agreed that the pell-mell is still happening in the late innings. The ninth is open for the taking ... or for the matchup ... or for whomever is available.
Matheny said the recent use of Oh in the ninth, as he was used Friday night, did not reflect a return to norm for the bullpen. Rather, he saw it as a continuation of the more fluid use of relievers.
He argued that the tougher inning could have come in the seventh inning when Cecil sped through the middle of the Bucs' order. Rosenthal got the lower third of the lineup, and struck out two and needed only 11 pitches to get through two hitters and a pinch-hitter.
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