JOE POSNANSKI COMMENTARY

Hard to argue Soria shouldn’t remain a closer

“He’s just so much fun to catch because he’s so aggressive,” Buck says. “He just comes after a hitter.”

Second batter, Xavier Nady: Soria started him off with a fastball strike, too, but then the two battled. Soria missed with a fastball, Nady fouled one off, Soria missed with a 69-mph curveball and then missed outside with another fastball. Full count. Soria then challenged Nady with a high fastball the radar gun clocked at 91 mph, but hitter after hitter talk about how Soria’s fastball always seems faster than the radar reading. It’s as if he gets more miles per gallon than the average pitcher. Nady swung late and missed for strike three.

“For some reason, nothing gets to him,” Buck says. “I don’t know how you explain it exactly. But I always know that if he gets beat or if he gets into trouble, he will not get away from his plan. He will be exactly the same.

“That’s just an incredible thing that you don’t see. I don’t know this for sure, but I assume that’s what you see with Mariano (Rivera). I can only know what I see, but it seems like nothing ever shakes Mariano, and that’s how Joakim is, too.”

Third batter, Robinson Cano: Soria threw a 91-mph fastball past him to start off the at-bat. Three batters, three first-pitch strikes. Soria then threw an inside fastball to give Cano something to think about, and he threw his only change-up of the day, which Cano fouled off. Soria’s change-up is an outstanding pitch, but his fastball is so good on its own, and it has so much cutting movement, that he really doesn’t need to throw anything else. He came back with a fastball just off the plate.

And that’s when Buck happily called his favorite pitch.

“The Bugs Bunny curve,” Buck says with a big smile on his face. Soria threw it at 68 mph this time, and Cano waved at it for strike three. Side retired. Game over. Never a doubt. Royals win.

I’m a big believer that statistics, when used properly, can tell you a whole lot about baseball. But it is true, as far as I know, that no statistic can measure the feeling of knowing that you have a game won in the ninth inning.

I couldn’t tell you what that’s worth, but Buck remembers very clearly what it was like when the Royals’ bullpen was a shambles, and every ninth inning was an adventure movie.

“There were times it was so bad, you almost did not want to be leading going into the ninth inning,” Buck says.

Yes, we can remember. Now, the ninth inning is close to a lock.

“Players feed off of it,” Buck says. “Everybody feeds off of it.”

People will continue to argue about what’s the right thing to do with Joakim Soria. But the Royals have definitively made their choice. And on days like Sunday, that choice feels right. Put it this way: Someone asked Buck how important his hit was in the eighth inning, the hit that gave the Royals a two-run lead instead of a one-run lead. And Buck said that, hey, it was important because it gave Soria a little cushion.

But then he smiled.

“Of course,” he said quietly after the questioner had left, “Soria did not need that cushion. One run is enough for him.”

To reach Joe Posnanski, call 816-234-4361 or send e-mail to jposnanski@kcstar.com. For previous columns, go to KansasCity.com.

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