Not choked. I think they stopped competing too early after sweeping the Twins...started experimenting with relievers to find the right combinations.
At that point, there wasn’t even a clear third starter, remember?
Robert was in an atrocious tailspin.
They took the foot off the gas, got run over by the Indians and couldn’t get their mojo back down the stretch...going from nearly the best record in the AL to almost missing the playoffs did elicit a sense of panic in such a young and inexperienced team.
I mean, Keuchel choked, right? And they still had the lead in Game 3 and plenty of positive vibes until Crochet had to come out early. Also don’t even know if Renteria was actually allowed to pick his starter for that one...