SI

Reds didn't choke, Pirates and Liriano were just better

Salazar is the rare starting pitcher who is capable of throwing 100 mph. But Cleveland kept training wheels on the 23-year-old righthander. He averaged five

Tom Verducci

Reds didn't choke, Pirates and Liriano were just better
Reds didn't choke, Pirates and Liriano were just better /
Francisco Liriano shut down Cincinnati to lead Pittsburgh to its first NLDS appearance.
Francisco Liriano shut down Cincinnati to lead Pittsburgh to its first NLDS appearance :: Fred Vuich/SI

Salazar is the rare starting pitcher who is capable of throwing 100 mph. But Cleveland kept training wheels on the 23-year-old righthander. He averaged five innings per start in his 10 big league starts and only once threw more than 89 pitches.

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Tom Verducci
TOM VERDUCCI

Tom Verducci is a senior writer for Sports Illustrated who has covered Major League Baseball since 1981. He also serves as an analyst for FOX Sports and the MLB Network; is a New York Times best-selling author; and cohosts The Book of Joe podcast with Joe Maddon. A five-time Emmy Award winner across three categories (studio analyst, reporter, short form writing) and nominated in a fourth (game analyst), he is a three-time National Sportswriter of the Year winner, two-time National Magazine Award finalist, and a Penn State Distinguished Alumnus Award recipient. Verducci is a member of the National Sports Media Hall of Fame, Baseball Writers Association of America (including past New York chapter chairman) and a Baseball Hall of Fame voter since 1993. He also is the only writer to be a game analyst for World Series telecasts. He lives in New Jersey with his wife, with whom he has two children.

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