role playing

He has bounced from starter to reliever twice now, but Lance Lynn has rolled smoothly with the changes. The former Ole Miss standout worked three innings in emergency relief on Monday and picked up the win as St. Louis whipped Washington 12-4 and evened the National League Division Series at 1-all. Lynn replaced Cardinals starter Jaime Garcia (shoulder injury) in the third inning. He worked two scoreless before allowing a couple of solo homers in the fifth, when St. Louis was comfortably ahead. Lynn, an 18-game winner this season, began the year in the St. Louis rotation (replacing injured Chris Carpenter) and made the All-Star team. Some rocky outings led to a demotion to the bullpen, where he worked on his mechanics before yet another injury (Jake Westbrook) created another starting opportunity. Lynn went 4-0 in his last four starts. He’s been bumped back to the bullpen for the postseason, a role he filled well during St. Louis’ championship run last fall. But the injury to Garcia just might open the door for a starting job if the Cards reach the NLCS.