KANSAS CITY -- Nobody ever wants to be down 2-0 in a postseason series. But if that is going to be your fate, it sure doesn't hurt to have Nelson Cruz on your side.
The Orioles slugger has put teams on his back before at this time of year, and if he can do it again in the American League Championship Series, perhaps Cruz will finally get the notice he deserves as one of the best pressure players of this era.
Consider that Cruz has 16 home runs in 159 postseason plate appearances, tying him with Carlos Beltran for ninth on the all-time list. However, Beltran has that number in 219 plate appearances.
| Date | Time | Matchup | Network | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gm 1 | Oct. 10 | KC 8, BAL 6 (10 inn.) |  | |
| Gm 2 | Oct. 11 | KC 6, BAL 4 | | |
| Gm 3 | Oct. 13 | 8 p.m. ET | BAL vs. KC | TBS |
| Gm 4 | Oct. 14 | 8 p.m. ET | BAL vs. KC | TBS |
| Gm 5* | Oct. 15 | 4 p.m. ET | BAL vs. KC | TBS |
| Gm 6* | Oct. 17 | 8 p.m. ET | KC vs. BAL | TBS |
| Gm 7* | Oct. 18 | 8 p.m. ET | KC vs. BAL | TBS |
The eight players in history who have more home runs in the postseason than Cruz all had more than 200 plate appearances.
Nobody in the last decade has received more notice than his heroics this time of year thanDavid Ortiz, one of Cruz's mentors. Yet Big Papi himself has 17 playoff homers, just one more than Cruz, and that's in 357 plate appearances.
"The man steps up," Orioles center fielder Adam Jones said of Cruz. "I don't know why. This is my first time seeing him. He's just big in those situations."
The first reason is comfort. Though some people get unnerved by being on the big stage, it makes Cruz feel at home.
"Yeah, no doubt," said Cruz. "I think winter ball helps. Every game in winter ball is very intense. I think that helped me to be comfortable."
Another reason is focus. If some players can start to think about extraneous pressure when playing in these games, Cruz is able to zone in on each pitch.
"I can't explain it," Cruz said. "I guess the way you prepare for every game, it makes a difference. You know that every pitch is important and every play is important. You focus a little bit better than the regular season."
There is just one time Cruz remembers being nervous on the playoff stage. It was Oct. 6, 2010, under the roof of Tropicana Field. It was the first postseason game of his career. Oh, by the way, Cruz hit a home run that day to lead the Rangers to victory over the Rays.
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