BALTIMORE —
Craig Stammen has faced 89 batters in high-leverage situations this season.
That ranks second among major league relievers. In 27 of the 36 games he has pitched, there has been at least one high-leverage at-bat. He has faced just 36 batters in low-leverage situations.
Basically, that means the times Stammen enters games are the moments in which the outcome hangs in the balance.
Questioned about the difference between pitching in the final three innings of a tie game or with a one-run lead versus pitching in a blowout, relievers essentially say it’s the contrast between Monday’s crossword puzzle and the bar exam.