Milwaukee Brewers’ John Axford available for Game 2 of NLCS – MLB Playoffs
The Milwaukee Brewers’ closer John Axford will be available for Game 2 of the National Championship Series against the St. Louis Cardinals. Fears gripped the team in Game 1 after the closer was struck on the right forearm.
However, as he dashed to determine the nature of the injury, the whole team breathed a sigh of relief when the X-ray came back negative. Much as the X-ray cleared things up, Axford had to undergo a throwing session to ascertain if he could play Monday’s
game.
The session formally paved the way for pitching. "I'm good to go," Axford said. "There wasn't any worry on my side. I knew after I got in there with the trainer and we took the precautionary X-ray, it was going to be OK."
Given the fact that the closer has almost become the backbone of the Milwaukee Brewers, his injury could deal a severe blow to the team. However, with the kind of pitches he threw in the pre-game session, it has become clear that he will appear in Monday’s
game against the Cardinals.
The team manager, Ron Roenicke, had his set of worries.
Roenicke said, "Last night, I was encouraged, though, when I left here by what [head athletic trainer] Roger [Caplinger] had to say about it.”
In the post-season games, John Axford had two saves out of four games that he played, pitching five innings and allowing only a run with a 1.80 ERA. All the same, in the regular season, he had an impressive record of 46 saves with an equally striking 1.95
ERA. Axford is a tremendous closer capable of delivering at the end of the game by restricting the batters for crucial runs.
The post-season experience has so far not been disappointing either. He has allowed only a run in the five innings that he has pitched. With Axford disposed to take on the St. Louis Cardinals, it will be interesting to see how the Brewers’ starters make
an effective use of their experience. The team will be looking at Axford to guide them to victory.
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