Usually, if a player is considered to be a key part of a victory, they come through at the plate. Perhaps they hit a key home run, or drive in that winning run. Maybe they get a key walk and find a way around the bases to score the winning run. There are quite a few ways that a player can become a factor in a victory.
That was not the case yesterday for the Tampa Bay Rays Kevin Kiermaier. In their 2-0 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays, Kiermaier was 0-4 with three strikeouts. That is definitely not the type of performance that typically results in being a key part of a victory.