SF Giants World Series champion Jeremy Affeldt holds a unique footnote in postseason history

During the championship run, SF Giants reliever Jeremy Affeldt became one of the great relievers in postseason history. Did you know that he is also the playoff leader in WHIP and H/9?

It is true. This one caught me by surprise. I knew that Affeldt’s 0.86 ERA ranks third among all pitchers in baseball history with at least 30 innings completed in the playoffs

Can you guess the two pitchers ahead of him in that category? One of them is a Hall of Famer. Mariano Rivera of the New York Yankees and Harry Brecheen of the St. Louis Cardinals lead the way with a 0.70 ERA and 0.83 ERA, respectively.

As far as unbeatable records go, Rivera’s career ERA in the playoffs will be tough to beat. He was not only effective, but he did this across 141 innings.

On the other hand, Affeldt proved to be the toughest postseason pitcher to reach base against. In 31.1 frames, he allowed just 14 hits and eight walks.

Much of that work came in a Giants uniform. Though, he compiled 5.1 innings with the Colorado Rockies in 2007. That season, the Rockies lost to the Boston Red Sox in the World Series.

The Giants were able to clinch three World Series titles in five years. This was due to timely hitting, effective starting pitchers, and a shutdown bullpen. Thanks to the bullpen, they were able to shorten games. When the Giants had the lead, it felt like a certainty that they would preserve that lead and close out the game.

Jeremy Affeldt’s keystone moment with the SF Giants came in his final postseason appearance

Affeldt played an important role with the Core Four. This group consisted of Affeldt, Sergio Romo, Santiago Casilla, and Javier López.

While Affeldt put together a strong postseason résumé, his keystone moment came in Game 7 of the 2014 World Series against the Kansas City Royals. Giants manager Bruce Bochy knew that he was counting outs, not innings, for Tim Hudson, who started the game.

Hudson collected just five outs, and was relieved by Affeldt. The strategy was clear at that point. Bridge the gap with the lead and get the ball to Madison Bumgarner. Affeldt competed 2.1 scoreless innings while allowing one hit and zero walks. The Giants scratched the third and final run of the game while Affeldt was on the mound.

Bumgarner took the ball with a 3-2 advantage and the rest is history. Bumgarner was the hero, but Affeldt played an integral part while collecting the win. That proved to be his final postseason outing, which also pushed him over the 30-inning threshold for his career. That distinction is important, as it allowed Affeldt to qualify for the postseason record books as one of the great pitchers in playoff history.

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