We can all imagine Tim McCarver saying something like, “The key to winning, especially in the postseason, is to hold on to the lead.”

Let’s skip the clichés, though, and move right ahead to the facts: In Sunday’s three divisional series games, relievers logged 22 1/3 innings. That’s an average of roughly 3 2/3 innings out of the bullpen per team per game. No pitcher, not even Rays ace James Shields (who finished what he started 11 times during the regular season), has pitched a complete game in the playoffs this season.

Today, we take a look at relief pitchers and the playoffs, starting with one of George Plimpton’s finest sportswriting. Plimpton took in the view of the classic 1975 World Series, pitting the Reds and Red Sox, from the bullpen, where the relievers smoked in the Porta Potty and prepared to pitch the biggest innings of the season.

Also included: The Star-Ledger‘s Mark Carig looks at Mariano Rivera in the buildup to his setting the saves record, Tim Brown on Jose Valverde’s harrowing Sunday evening, Joe Strauss on the Cardinals’ maligned bullpen coming through and Jorge Arangure on the woes of Brad Ziegler, who allowed four runs without recording an out for the Diamondbacks on Sunday.