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Kimbrel came on in a tied game and pitched a perfect ninth inning in Boston's 5-4 extra-inning win over St. Louis on Wednesday.
Bucking baseball's convention of only using closers on the road when you have a lead, manager John Farrell brought Kimbrel in to face the top of the Cardinals' order in the bottom of the ninth. Farrell has modified his usage of Kimbrel this season, having him enter games in the eighth inning in addition to Wednesday's deployment in a tie game on the road. He's been the most stable of Boston's relievers so it makes sense to use him in big spots regardless of if a save is on the line.
