In the first games of the 2025 Wild Card Series, two winning teams had their closers pitch multiple innings and it paid off. Most managers are reluctant to use their closers for more than one inning for fear of injury, overuse, or some other reason that belies the optimal strategy of using your best closer in the most highly leveraged situations.

In Game 1 between the Red Sox and the Yankees, Aroldis Chapman came in the bottom of the 8th inning with a one run lead and the tying run at first to face the Yankees #9 hitter, José Caballero, and despite balking the runner to 2nd, gets Caballero to fly out. 

In the top of the 9th, Alex Bregman drives in an insurance run to make it a 2-run lead before the Yankees get their final at bats.

Staying in the game for the 9th inning, Chapman made it even more exciting by giving up three straight singles to load the bases with no outs.

In his only multi-inning appearance during the regular season, Aroldis Chapman came in the 7th inning against the Phillies on July 23, 2025, holding a one run lead getting the last out but then giving up a game tying home run in the 8th inning, a game which the Sox would win in 11.

However, despite spotting the Yankees 3 base runners, Aroldis Chapman strikes out Giancarlo Stanton swinging, gets Jazz Chisholm on a flyball and then Trent Grisham on a swinging strikeout and the Sox take a 1 game lead in the Wild Card and a save goes in the books for Chapman,

Likewise in Game 1 between the Detroit Tigers and the Cleveland Indians, Tigers closer Will Vest came into the game with 2 outs in the 8th inning to successfully save the lead in a 1 run game. This was not an unfamiliar situation for Vest who had 16 multi-inning appearances and 3 multi-inning saves during the regular season.

Currently, the closer pitches only in the final inning of a close game to nail down a victory, however, simply using a closer with such strict consistency is not the best strategy.

In the past, relievers often went multiple innings and the multi-inning save was more common. 

In yesterday's two wild card games, the closer game in early to deal with the potential tying run on base already. Aroldis Chapman faced the #9 hitter and Will Vest faced the #2 hitter in their respective opponent's lineups. Getting the out here was crucial to holding the lead. With the top of order and heart of the orders coming up, Chapman and Vest would face the best batters of the Yankees and Indians.

In both cases, the win probability for the Yankees and Indians edged up to 23% and 26% in the bottom of the 8th and managers Alex Cora for the Red Sox and AJ Hinch for the Tigers made the call to the bullpen for their closer to take the mound for an early entrance and it paid out with victories.

Will more closers be used earlier and to get more than 3 outs to nail down games?