I know what some of you are thinking today: Why couldn't Kevin Millwood pitch like this consistently in August and earlier in September when the playoff chase was still on?

And I can't blame you for thinking that. He's paid very well -- $12 million next year, by the way -- to do just that. But Millwood's struggles were not just those of a guy that seemed to be tired. His mechanics were out of whack and he needed extra time to fix them. The timing, of course, was awful.

But it is important that Millwood finished the season with a three quality starts -- all wins -- and beat Anaheim last night with a complete game performance. He struck out 10 and walked one while allowed three runs (two earned) on seven hits. He did it all on 122 pitches. Maybe that will provide Millwood with some confidence heading into the off-season. He ended up with 198 2/3 innings, easily eclipsing the 180-inning mark that he needed to automatically earn a contract for next season. So he goes into spring training as the No. 1 starter of this team again. They need him to be solid all season in 2010 to make a run at the playoffs. The strong finish also can give his teammates some hope that he's figured things out and will know what he needs to do to prepare for spring training.

How important do you think it was for Millwood to finish strong? Does it matter?

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