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Why Ryan Pressly, Cubs not worried by wild ninth inning vs Diamondbacks

1 year agoZoe Grossman

Ryan Pressly is accustomed to pressure.

You must be to last 13 seasons in the major leagues, and it’s exactly why the Cubs traded for the two-time All-Star from the Houston Astros to be their closer this season.

“I just don’t panic — try to keep it calm,” Pressly said about managing high-leverage situations Saturday night after the Cubs’ 4-3 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks in Phoenix. “It wasn’t the cleanest inning, but a win’s a win.”

[MORE: How new Cubs reliever Ryan Pressly hopes to form ‘dynamic duo’ with Porter Hodge]

Pressly has 113 career saves, including closing out the 2022 World Series for the Astros, and the 36-year-old right-hander earned his first with the Cubs, though it was a sticky situation.

Three consecutive D-backs hits, including a two-run homer by Eugenio Suarez, brought the potential go-ahead run to the plate with no outs in the bottom of the ninth. But Pressly and the Cubs escaped the jam, thanks to Dansby Swanson’s incredible play to end the game.

“What a ride of emotions that was,” Pressly told reporters after the game. “Make a good pitch, it falls in no-man’s land, and Dansby makes a heads-up play … I was pretty pumped.”

The Cubs’ bullpen struggled last year, particularly in finding a reliable closer, as Adbert Alzolay recorded five blown saves in just 17.1 innings pitched before heading to the IL in mid-May.

Despite another late-inning scare, Cubs manager Craig Counsell believes Pressly will be a valuable asset for his team.

[MORE: ‘I just want to win’: What Ryan Pressly was told about his Cubs role]

“Things aren’t always going to go your way in baseball,” Counsell told reporters. “Pressly’s been doing this for a long time — he’s had a lot of success in this league, so I’m not too worried about his stuff.”