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Rosenthal bemoans loss of closer's role: 'I was confident'

Dilip Vishwanat / Getty Images Sport / Getty

One season after Trevor Rosenthal saved 48 games for the 100-win St. Louis Cardinals, the right-hander lost his closing job over the weekend in a move he felt might've come too early.

"The last three times I went out there, I feel like I was right there. I had good stuff, I was getting ahead of hitters," Rosenthal told ESPN's Mark Saxon. "I made a couple bad pitches that got away, but nothing crazy. There was some bad timing, some bad luck mixed in, things I can't control, but my mindset was in the place it needs to be out there. I was confident."

After allowing a three-run home run to Adam Lind of the Seattle Mariners on Friday for his third blown save of the season, manager Mike Matheny said the 26-year-old will no longer pitch in save situations.

The 2015 All-Star owns a 14.14 ERA in June, but plans to work his way back into the role he's held with the club since the end of 2013.

"It's not fun for sure. I don't want to lose, I don't want to do bad, I don't want to let down the guys, especially a game like that in Seattle where we're kind of rolling, where (Carlos) Martinez is pitching a great game, but I'm not the first person this has happened to," Rosenthal explained. "I'm not going to be the last person and all these guys know I work my butt off and I try every day. It's all I can control."

With Rosenthal out as the team's finisher, the Cardinals will spread save opportunities around, giving Korean rookie Seung Hwan Oh, left-hander Kevin Siegrist, and veteran Jonathan Broxton chances to prove themselves in the role.

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