With two outs, runners on first and third and the Los Angeles Angels clinging to a ninth-inning lead, Francisco Rodriguez launches into his violent delivery. He falls off the side of the mound as his changeup approaches home plate.
Strike three. Ballgame over.
Rodriguez pumps his fists downward and then points both arms skyward in a V for victory.
The 26-year-old right-hander known as K-Rod did that enough times to become baseball's season saves leader with 62, five more than the old mark set by Bobby Thigpen in 1990 -- but not without some heart-pounding moments for Angels fans.
Several of Rodriguez's ninth inning appearances turned suspenseful when he got himself into jams with runners in scoring position.
He blew seven saves during the regular season, including one this month against Oakland, when the tying and winning runs scored on his own throwing error.
"You're not always going to have a clean inning," Angels pitching coach Mike Butcher said. "Is it on your wish list? Yeah, it's on your wish list. But you know what? The bottom line is that when he gets guys on base, he gets out of it and gets the job done."
Rodriguez attributes his penchant for allowing runners on base more often to batters laying off pitches they used to swing at.
"They weren't chasing pitches out of the zone against me a whole lot this year," he said. "They really worked the count with me. They battle out there."
Rodriguez has heard the comments about being less than perfect every time out.
"People can say whatever they want to say. People always want to criticize," he said. "The bottom line is 62 saves."
His teammates have put him in some sticky situations, too.
Of Rodriguez's 62 saves, 23 came with one-run leads and 22 in two-run games. He went 2-3 with a 2.24 ERA in 76 games, striking out 77 and walking 34 in 68 1-3 innings.
Rodriguez was a major player in nearly two-thirds of the Angels' club-record 100 victories, and that's earned him manager Mike Scioscia's backing for the Cy Young Award, which almost always goes to a starting pitcher and is like to be won by Cleveland's Cliff Lee.
"That's a slam dunk right there. He should get an incredible amount of consideration," Scioscia said. "A reliever in Francisco's role has more to do with a team's standing than one starting pitcher does. He's influenced the outcome. That's a major impact to a team."
Rodriguez was a model of consistency from April 14 to June 11, converting 25 consecutive save opportunities to break his own club record of 22. And he was slowed by two ankle injuries in April that caused him to adjust his frenzied delivery.
His fastball slowed from its top speed of 95 mph to the low 90s, but Rodriguez improved his command and performance.
"His resiliency has been tremendous this year," Butcher said. "When he goes out there, I feel like the game is over. I know he feels the same way, and the guys that are playing behind him feel the same way. So he has all of our support and I know that he is ready for the challenge. This guy is extremely strong mentally."
Rodriguez pitched three days in a row just four times this season, with Scioscia limiting him to one-inning appearances.
"That's one of the reasons that allow me to do what I'm doing right now," Rodriguez said. "I feel fresh and ready to go now for the second stage."
Rodriguez's 194 saves since the start of the 2005 season are the most in the majors. He burst into the majors as a flame-throwing 20-year-old during the Angels' run to their first and only World Series title in 2002.
Rodriguez plans to test the free agent market this winter, with the New York Mets among the likely candidates for his services -- no surprise considering their bullpen miseries. He'd prefer a five-year deal and probably will command $75 million or more. He hasn't ruled out staying in Anaheim.
"I'm not thinking about it right now," he said before cutting off further questions on the matter. "Right now, I'm focusing on the playoffs. After the playoffs, I'm going to focus on spending time with my family. I already did my job. My agent has to do it."
Rather than wipe the slate clean for the playoffs that begin Wednesday night at home against the Boston Red Sox, Butcher hopes Rodriguez remembers what he's already accomplished.
"It's something to fall back on," the pitching coach said. "Gosh, if anything, it gives you a tremendous amount of confidence. I already know he has confidence, but his confidence level should be off the charts."
In Game 2 of last year's first-round series, Rodriguez gave up a winning three-run homer to Manny Ramirez in the ninth inning of Game 2. No matter how crowded the bases may get in the ninth during the playoffs, first baseman Mark Teixeira wants Rodriguez finishing off the game.
"We have incredible confidence in Frankie. He did it as a young player in 2002, so he's had the playoff experience," Teixeira said. "There's one stat, and that's saves. Frankie's got 62 this year, so that says a lot."