Homegrown bullpen depth buoys Cardinals

• Relievers Joe Kelly and Trevor Rosenthal have been assets for St. Louis since their midseason debut
• Both pitchers were trained as starters and both eventually end up in that role for the Cardinals
• The Detroit Tigers have also gotten contributions from outfield call-up Avisail Garcia

SAN FRANCISCO — Teams seldom get this far into October without contributions from players who weren't part of the plan when the season began.

And the final three teams in this postseason are examples of the available versions of that success formula.

The usual route to securing a playoff berth includes a key acquisition or two at or before the July 31 trading deadline. But entrusting key roles to kids right out of the farm system has paid dividends in recent years.

The St. Louis Cardinals — with Joe Kelly and Trevor Rosenthal turning the bullpen into a prime asset — are this year's finest example.

The trade route is the way the San Francisco Giants went. The acquisition of Philadelphia Phillies right fielder Hunter Pence was the apparent marquee move, but Colorado Rockies refugee Marco Scutaro ended up stealing the spotlight by outhitting Pence down the stretch and providing solid defense at second base.

The Detroit Tigers did likewise, beefing up a rotation that has dominated in the playoffs by trading for Anibal Sanchez from the Miami Marlins.

But they also have gotten mileage out of outfielder Avisail Garcia, the Miguel Cabrera lookalike but not quite playalike.

Tigers manager Jim Leyland has found his spots for Garcia, using him in the supporting-cast mix that was so productive last year with the likes of Don Kelly, Brandon Inge and Ramon Santiago.

Garcia wasn't called up for his big-league debut until Aug. 31. He had 11 at-bats in the American League Championship Series sweep of the New York Yankees, but his .455 batting average was the best on the team.

But no overhaul has been more crucial than what St. Louis did to its bullpen. The Cardinals' one trade was getting Edward Mujica from the Marlins, and he allowed manager Mike Matheny to create the pattern he likes for the final three innings of a victory — Mujica in the seventh, followed by Mitchell Boggs and Jason Motte.

The Cardinals, though, have bullpen depth remarkable for even teams that get this far into the postseason, thanks to Kelly and Rosenthal, both of whom made their major league debuts in midseason. What makes their contributions most significant is that both have been trained as starters and still could end up in that role.

Asked where Rosenthal and Kelly fit into the Cardinals' long-term plans — starting or relieving — Matheny responded, "Yes."

Kelly made 16 starts after his June debut, filling holes in a St. Louis rotation that was hardly whole with Chris Carpenter out for nearly the entire summer. But it's been bullpen only for him since mid-September.

"I enjoy it," said Kelly, who still aspires to start. "I like going out there and being in more than one game trying to help our team win."

Rosenthal has been plenty successful in the minors, especially as the 21st-round draft pick's velocity has moved up several ticks to the 100 mph fastball that has caught major leaguers' attention. But, because this is the big leagues, further refinement of his secondary pitches will determine his future.

Like Kelly, he'll gladly take the role that has encompassed his first 25 major league appearances, especially with six of them in the postseason.

"It's definitely been a quick ride," Rosenthal said. "Going from winning a championship in low-A last year to trying to get another one here. Hopefully, around Christmastime or something, I'll be able to pinch myself and wake up and realized what happened."