Joe Smith’s quick inning puts pressure on Angels closer Huston Street
REPORTING FROM TORONTO — Angels setup man Joe Smith retired the heart of the Toronto order so quickly in the bottom of the eighth inning Tuesday night -- he needed just six pitches to get Joe Bautista, Edwin Encarnacion and Russell Martin on groundouts -- that closer Huston Street missed the performance completely.
Street was in the bullpen bathroom.
“The guys were banging on the bathroom door, telling me I had to start getting ready,” said Street, who retired the side in order in the ninth to close out a 3-2 victory over the Blue Jays. “Needless to say, it caught me off guard, how quickly that inning went. I wasn’t able to get all of my pre-game jitters out.”
Toronto reliever Liam Hendriks retired the Angels in order in the top of the ninth, but he needed 18 pitches to do so, giving Street just enough time to warm up before entering the game for his 13th save.
“A six-pitch inning doesn’t happen often, and when you have one, you have to get ready quick,” Street said. “But at the same time, Joe was facing two-three-four in the lineup. If someone’s banging on the door, I’m happy, because that means we still have the lead.”
Follow Mike DiGiovanna on Twitter @MikeDiGiovanna
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