Full Count: Fear in the ninth -- Hitters reveal the pitchers they least like to face

[Carissa]

Full Count: Fear in the ninth
Hitters reveal the pitchers they least like to face
By Mychael Urban
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You're at the plate, two men are on, and there are two out in the bottom of the ninth ...

The other team's bullpen door swings open ...

Who's the last guy you want to see walking through that door?

That's the question we posed to 84 men in uniform around the Majors for the debut of Full Count, a question-of-the-week survey that will run through the end of the 2003 regular season.

In addition to a roundup examining the trends revealed by the survey, the weekly Full Count package will include a page that allows you to read every respondent's answer. And, of course, we want you involved. That's why we're offering a poll that allows you to answer the same questions we posed to the big leaguers.

So, which pitchers strike the most fear in the hearts of hitters? Well, the answer isn't as obvious as you might think. The big names are all right there, but so are some guys you might not have considered. There's even a starter in the mix, which turned out to be a 21-gun salute.

"The reality of it," said Todd Walker of the Red Sox, "is that on any given day, anybody can be flat-out nasty, and then you face them a week later and they're a different pitcher."

Which names jump immediately to mind? Atlanta's John Smoltz? Mariano Rivera of the Yankees? Eric Gagne of the Dodgers? Houston's Billy Wagner?

Sure. They're the top late-game intimidators out there: Smoltz, Gagne and Wagner are ranked 1-2-3 in saves thus far this season, and Rivera would probably be up there if he hadn't spent time on the disabled list. Predictably, this fearsome foursome claimed the top four spots in the poll.

On Smoltz, who finished first and was mentioned by 23 players, Los Angeles leadoff man Dave Roberts and Twins outfielder Torii Hunter were succinct.

Hunter: "I'll face anybody else but Smoltz."

Roberts: "He's virtually unhittable. It's very simple."

And why is he unhittable? Mainly because his years as a top starter gave him a repertoire that draws awe.

"He has three way above-average pitches, and he's as tough as it gets," said Mark Loretta of the Padres. "His slider is unbelievable. He throws near 100 [mph] anyway, and when that slider is working, there's no way to hit it."

Even guys in the American League are a little bit afraid, and that's saying something. Only 14 hitters from the AL mentioned NL closers, and only eight NL hitters crossed over to the other league with their answers.

White Sox All-Star Magglio Ordonez was one of them, and he picked Smoltz, too.

"I've never faced him," Ordonez copped. "[But] I've seen him on TV a couple of times, and he has good stuff."

Good stuff is a prerequisite, of course, but that's not all you need. Gagne, who drew 10 mentions -- good for third place -- has the kind of presence that shakes hitters up, too. The burning bush of a goatee, goggles and sweat-ringed hat don't hurt a bit.

"His stuff is very disgusting," Tampa Bay's Damian Rolls offered. "And the 'look' goes along with it."

So does a changeup that more than a few players said they wanted no part of.

"Gagne is a guy who throws hard," said Tim Salmon of the Angels, "but you're up there looking for 97 and he has that 87 mile-per-hour changeup."

And then some.

"He has one of the best fastballs, one of the best changeups and one of the best curveballs in the game," said Cincy's Adam Dunn.

Wagner, though, relies mostly on ungodly heat. He got nine mentions, good for fourth place, including one from Marlins outfielder Miguel Cabrera, who was called up from Double-A in June and was named NL Rookie of the Month in July.

"No one in Double-A is throwing 100," Cabrera said.

Wagner, it's safe to say, leaves a lasting impression.

"I remember coming into a game last season as a pinch-hitter," said Greg Colbrunn of the Mariners, "and he throws me a 97-mile-per-hour fastball for a strike, then a slider that was called a strike, and then a 101-mile-per-hour fastball.

"It looked like seeing a mouse out of the corner of your eye."

Added Michael Barrett of the Expos: "Billy Wagner is a guy I don't think I've ever gotten a base hit off yet."

Roger Cedeno of the Mets named Wagner, too, but he didn't offer an explanation. The numbers say it for him: Cedeno is 0-for-12 with 11 strikeouts against Wagner in his career.

Rivera, whose 18 mentions trailed only Smoltz in the poll, is another guy who sticks with his strength. And what a strength it is.

"He's got that 96-mile-per-hour cutter," said Ellis Burks of the Indians. "Something with that velocity, and it's cutting like that? No chance! ... That guy's nasty. I mean, he's a one-pitch reliever -- one pitch. That's all he throws, and it's that cutter. That shows you right there how tough he is."

Echoed Al Martin of the D-Rays: " You know what he's going to do. You know exactly what he's going to do. And there's nothing you can do about it. That cutter. There's nothing you can do."

"Nobody comes close," said Oakland's Miguel Tejada. "You can't touch him."

And to hear Rivera's teammates tell it, they'd prefer he get a lifetime no-trade clause.

Derek Jeter called him "unreal," John Flaherty said you need to "get lucky" to get a hit off him, and Jason Giambi said it's "almost impossible" to keep your bat in one piece against him.

Plus, said Baltimore's Jeff Conine, "He's been doing it for so many years."

Curiously, several of this year's top closers didn't get mentioned at all. Oakland's Keith Foulke, Montreal's Rocky Biddle, Baltimore's Jorge Julio, Florida's Ugueth Urbina, Minnesota's Eddie Guardado and Kansas City's Mike MacDougal are ranked 4-5-6-7-8-9 in saves across The Show, but nobody gave them an ounce of love. Hard-throwing Billy Koch didn't rate, either.

Understand, though, that some players refused to name anyone. Call it the macho set.

"Right now, there's nobody I'm afraid of," said future Hall of Famer Rickey Henderson.

"There's none of them I'd least like to face," said San Francisco's Marquis Grissom. "I don't much care who I face, really."

"It doesn't matter," said Chicago's Carl Everett.

"There's not one guy I'd dread to see come on," insisted Kansas City's Desi Relaford. "My mentality is that I'm ready to take on anybody at any time."

Henderson, Gary Sheffield of Atlanta and Houston's Craig Biggio apparently have that mentality now, too, but back in the day it was another story. Rickey picked Goose Gossage, Sheffield named Dennis Eckersley and Biggio tabbed ... Kevin Gross?

"I don't think I've ever gotten a hit off him," Biggio said of Gross, who hasn't pitched since 1997. "Maybe I'm 3- or 4-for-70 off the guy. It's a no-brainer."

Robb Nen of the Giants was the only other pitcher to be mentioned at least five times, and he's out for the season. As far as one of the game's best hitters is concerned, it's good riddance, Robb.

"He's on the disabled list, and he could still get me out," said Colorado's Todd Helton.

Anaheim's Troy Percival has had some injury problems of his own this year, and that might explain why he got only two mentions. A freakish delivery explains why Oakland's fairly obscure side-winding setup man, Chad Bradford, finished ahead of Percival with three nods.

"I'd say [Chad] Bradford from Oakland," said Cleveland's Casey Blake. "I've never got a hit off him, and I have trouble picking the ball up. [He's] a submariner, you know. For some reason, he gives me a lot of fits."

Mike Williams was named by former Pirates teammates Jason Kendall and Brian Giles, but just about everyone else was mentioned only once, and it's easy to see why.

"He just had my number," Arizona's Shea Hillenbrand said of Boston's Ramiro Mendoza.

"He owned me," Mark Grace said of the Mets' John Franco.

"He just gets me out, somehow, some way, every time," Anaheim's Troy Glaus said of New York's Jeff Nelson.

The lone starter named?

"Pedro Martinez," said Seattle's Randy Winn. "He's tough and definitely one of the best pitchers in the league. He is the best at getting one out when you need it."

Tampa Bay's Jesus Colome, Boston's Byung-Hyun Kim, San Diego's Trevor Hoffman, Cincy's Scott Sullivan and Seattle's Arthur Rhodes also drew one vote each, but what about a guy who's never gotten anyone out?

That's the route taken by one of the game's true funnymen. A's outfielder Adam Piatt went with 4-foot-7 Jason Acuna, better known as Wee Man on MTV's "Jackass."

"Oh, it's gotta be Wee Man," Piatt said. "He can hide the ball sick, and he's got that nasty upward-plane thing going. Plus you'd be cracking up. No way you could hit that guy."

"Who's the last guy you want to see 
walking through that bullpen door?"  
John Smoltz 	23 
Mariano Rivera 	18 
Eric Gagne 	10 
Billy Wagner 	9 
"Nobody"  	7 
Robb Nen  	5 
Chad Bradford  	3 
Troy Percival 	2 
Jeff Nelson  	2 
Mike Williams 	2 
Jesus Colome  	1 
Dennis Eckersley	1 
Goose Gossage  	1 
Trevor Hoffman  1 
Scott Sullivan  1 
Kevin Gross  	1 
Ramiro Mendoza  1 
Byung-Hyun Kim 	1 
John Franco  	1 
Arthur Rhodes 	1 
Wee Man  	1 
(Note: Although 84 players were polled,
several players mentioned more than one pitcher.)  

Mychael Urban is a national writer for MLB.com. MLB.com reporters contributed to this feature, which was not subject to approval by Major League Baseball or its clubs.


Full Count: The answers
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Eighty-four players on 27 big-league teams were asked the first Full Count question of the week.

"You're at the plate, your team is down two runs with two on in the bottom of the ninth. The other team's bullpen door swings open. Who would you least like to see walking through that door?"

Here are all the answers, team by team:

DODGERS
Rickey Henderson: "Right now, there's nobody I'm afraid of. But back in the days, it was Goose Gossage. As a young guy, every time he got me out. He was dogging me. I told him I'd get him in an Old-Timers' Game. But me fear? No, nobody. I like the challenge."

Dave Roberts: "It's [John] Smoltz. He's virtually unhittable. It's very simple."

Jeromy Burnitz: "Smoltz. With that splitter, are you kidding? Right now he's on top of it."

Ron Coomer: "Smoltz is the best guy right now. He's got 97 mph and the forkball. Hard, soft, location. He's got it all."

PADRES
Mark Loretta: "John Smoltz ... He has three way above average pitches and he's as tough as it gets. His slider is unbelievable. He throws near 100 anyway and when that slider is working, there is no way to hit it."

Rondell White: "John Smoltz ... He's the nastiest pitcher in baseball. He throws hard."

Dave Hansen: "Trevor Hoffman ... He's got the art of deception. He knows how to pitch. He knows how to shut a baseball game down. He never looks the same except for his windup. He's a student of the game and you have to appreciate that."

GIANTS
Marquis Grissom: "There's none of them I least want to face. I don't much care who I face, really. Probably Gagne, that's about it. But I don't fear any pitcher. But with Gagne, I haven't faced him at all because I played with him a couple of years.

Yorvit Torrealba: "Chad Bradford. ... In that kind of situation, I don't really care who's on the mound. I just want to try and put the ball in play. For me, the guys that throw down here (submariners), that's just tough. It's hard to pick up the ball, it's got a lot of movement, so whoever throws down there, especially a righty. A guy throws over the top, even if he struck me out 100 times, I know I can at least get the ball in play."

Neifi Perez: "A lefty -- anybody, I don't care. I just feel more comfortable hitting a right-hander. I don't care who it is. I just don't want a lefty."

METS
Roger Cedeno: "Billy Wagner."

Tony Clark: "Mariano Rivera."

Joe McEwing: "Mariano Rivera. You pray you get something without breaking your bat. You pray you get something that's not going 94 mph and moving 3 feet, where it looks like it's a strike when it comes to the plate and then drops."

MARLINS
Juan Pierre: "Probably John Smoltz, because he has three pitches. You can deal with some guys who have a fastball or one other pitch that's decent. Smoltz has three real good ones, so you don't know what to look for. He's got a split finger, a slider and fastball that he can throw pretty much for strikes. That's what makes him so tough."

Ivan Rodriguez: "Smoltz. He's tough. He throws strikes and he comes right at you. He gets ahead and he's very tough."

Miguel Cabrera: "Billy Wagner. No one in Double-A is throwing 100."

DEVIL RAYS
Marlon Anderson: "No one. We're paid to paid to be ready for whoever comes on in relief."

Damian Rolls: "Eric Gagne. His stuff is very disgusting. And 'The Look' goes along with it."

Al Martin: "Mariano Rivera. You know what he's going to do. You know exactly what he's going to do. And there's nothing you can do about it. That cutter. There's nothing you can do."

EXPOS
Brian Schneider: "Billy Wagner. ... For myself, being lefthanded, you hate to see guy coming with 100 miles per hour."

Michael Barrett: "Billy Wagner is a guy I don't think I've ever gotten a base hit off yet."

Joe Vitiello: "Smoltz. History says he's the best in the game."

ORIOLES
David Segui: "I would have to say Rivera. Even though I am a switch-hitter, it really doesn't matter. His ball cuts so much that it's hard to get a read on it. I mean there are a lot of good closers out there, but he is the best."

Jeff Conine: "The guy you don't want to see is still Mariano Rivera. He's got that nasty cutter and he throws in the mid-90s. He is arguably the best in the game. And he's been doing it for so many years."

Jay Gibbons: "I would definitely say Rivera. Sometimes he is just in a zone and you might get one pitch to hit. You just have to be ready for anything because he throws his cutter away and hard. He's never fun to face."

REDS
Adam Dunn: "Eric Gagne. ... He's got three pitches. He's not just going to throw you a fastball. He has one of the best fastballs, one of the best change-ups and one of the best curveballs in the game."

Juan Castro: "Billy Wagner or Robb Nen. ... Wagner throws too hard. When you want to swing, the ball's already by you. Nen has a fastball, sinker and split-finger that are really tough."

Sean Casey: "Wagner. ... He throws about 100 (mph) every pitch. He's coming right at you and he's saying, 'Here it is.'"

PHILLIES
Mike Lieberthal: "Smoltz or Gagne. I can't decide. ... Smoltz has the better fastball. I've faced him a lot more, so I'd probably feel a little more comfortable. ... I also used to hate Robb Nen."

INDIANS
John McDonald: "Chad Bradford from Oakland. That's me personally. I haven't had good at-bats against him. That Bradford, I don't want him comin' out of the bullpen."

Casey Blake: "I'm thinking -- this is me personally, right? ... I'd say Bradford from Oakland. ... I've never got a hit off him, and I have trouble pickin' the ball up; a submariner, you know. For some reason, he gives me a lot of fits."

Ellis Burks: "Two outs, two guys on, and they're bringing in the closer. Let me think. ... Mariano Rivera, because he's got that 96-mph cutter. That's probably one of the toughest pitches to hit. Something with that velocity and it's cutting like that, no chance! You know what, when I was in the National League and I used to see him pitching in the World Series and in the playoffs, and I didn't realize he had a cutter. I just thought he was throwin' heaters. I was, 'How in the heck are these guys missing this heater?' All of a sudden, I come over here, and I face him. Now, I see. That guy's nasty. I mean, he's a one-pitch reliever -- one pitch. That's all he throws, and it's that cutter. That shows you right there how tough he is."

ASTROS
Craig Biggio: "Kevin Gross. I don't think I've ever gotten a hit off him. Maybe I'm 3- or 4-for-70 off the guy. It's a no-brainer. He's the last guy I'd want to face in that situation."

Jeff Bagwell: "Robb Nen. He has a slider, and his fastball cuts. Actually, I should probably say Scott Sullivan since I'm 0-for-24 against him. But it's not as draining of an at-bat as when I face Nen."

Gregg Zaun: "Right now, John Smoltz, for obvious reasons."

BRAVES
Robert Fick: "John Smoltz because he's got unbelievable command of the strike zone. I faced him a couple of times last year and it was just scary with him throwing that heater and those unbelievable splits."

Gary Sheffield: "I'd have to say Dennis Eckersley because every time he came in there you knew he was going to have nasty stuff and be able to outthink you. Smoltzie is great, but in terms of guys I've faced, I'd have to say Eck is the one I never wanted to see."

Javy Lopez: "I've never had to face Smoltz, and I hope to keep it that way. You just never know what he's going to throw. Just sitting back there catching him, I can tell he's the type of guy you want on your team in that kind of situation."

ROCKIES
Preston Wilson: "None of them. That means you're down [on yourself]."

Greg Norton: "John Smoltz. ... He has a variety of pitches that can get you out."

Chris Stynes: "John Smoltz or Eric Gagne."

Todd Helton: "Robb Nen ... He's on the disabled list, and he could still get me out."

DIAMONDBACKS
Shea Hillenbrand: "Ramiro Mendoza. ... He just had my number. I probably would have hit .500 against the Yankees if it weren't for him."

Mark Grace: "John Franco. ... He owned me. Simple as that. It didn't matter what he threw: fastball, curveball, screwball; I couldn't hit any of them. I may have gotten three hits in my career off him, and let me tell you, they weren't hard hit."

Carlos Baerga: "Mariano Rivera. ... For the last five years, he's the one that I wouldn't want to face. He's got the stuff to just dominate you."

CUBS
Alex Gonzalez: "Probably Smoltz. I've had trouble with him. He's got good location on his fastball. He has a really good split-finger and he has a slider, and he can throw all of them at any time. He's probably one of the toughest closers in the game."

Paul Bako: "John Smoltz. It's his demeanor. He's always real relaxed. He's got experience as a starting pitcher and he has three pitches that are above-average. And he knows what he's doing. He's always in control."

Troy O'Leary: "Smoltz or Wagner. I'd rather face Smoltz because of the lefty-righty matchup. If they're on like they've been, there's nothing you can do."

ROYALS
Aaron Guiel: "It would have to be Eric Gagne. His changeup is devastating."

Ken Harvey: "Either Eric Gagne or John Smoltz. Both of those guys have amazing stuff."

Desi Relaford: "Nobody. There's not one guy I'd dread to see come on. My mentality is that I'm ready to take on anybody at any time."

MARINERS
Greg Colbrunn: "Billy Wagner. I'm not a big fan of his. I don't think I have any success against him over the years. He is one of those guys. Coming off the bench and facing a guy who throws in the high-90s is not fun. For some reason, I don't pick the ball up very well against him. I probably have put the ball in play three or four times and struck out something like seven or eight times. I remember coming into a game last season as a pinch-hitter and he throws me a 97-mph fastball for a strike, then a slider that was called a strike and then a 101-mph fastball. It looked like seeing a mouse out of the corner of your eye."

Bret Boone: "I'm not saying because I might have to face him in the World Series. I don't want anyone to think I can't hit 'em."

Ben Davis: "Robb Nen. ... When we played [the Giants] when I was in San Diego, every time he came in, he shut the door 1-2-3 and no questions asked. When we saw him come in, it was, 'Aw, this game is over.' That's not a very positive way to think, but it was the truth the majority of the time. We wouldn't even sniff a ball off the barrel of the bat."

Randy Winn: "Pedro Martinez. He's tough and definitely one of the best pitchers in the league. He is the best at getting one out when you need it."

TIGERS
Ben Petrick: "John Smoltz. Even though it's National League, I used to be in the National League. I can't really tell you because I haven't faced too many guys, but based on what I've seen, Smoltz or Gagne. Those are different types of pitchers whose pitches are pretty much filthy."

Ramon Santiago: "You know, I go up there hitting and I don't care who's pitching, but sometimes a pitcher has nasty stuff and you've got to give him credit. But one of the best pitchers, John Smoltz, he's amazing, you know."

Alex Sanchez: "I don't know. I think I can get on. It doesn't matter who's pitching or not."

TWINS
Torii Hunter: "John Smoltz, definitely. I'll face anybody else but Smoltz. He's the best closer we faced. Any other closer I'd be happy [to face] any day. I don't want to face Smoltz because he used to be a starter and he can spot any pitch he throws."

Michael Restovich: "You hear of Rivera and [Troy] Percival. Those guys, by just reputation alone, would be guys I'd say I'm not in a hurry to face. Although right now, since it's my first time up here, playing at least, I'd be happy to be in a game against Percival."

RED SOX
Todd Walker: "The reality of it is that on any given day, anybody can be flat-out nasty, and then you face them a week later and they're a different pitcher. But that being said, for me personally, the guy would be Billy Wagner. If I had to pick one, he'd be the one. From the left side, coming in on a lefty, you have less reaction time, anyway. But when the guy throws 100, that just nails it down even more. You have to guess with him because he throws a slider, too. You can't try to see a slider and hit it. You just have to guess it. If you're sitting on a slider and he throws his fastball, you have no chance."

Jeremy Giambi: "Being a left-handed hitter, it would have to be Mariano Rivera. Most cutters are 89 or 90. His cutter is 95. You either get jammed and fight it off, or if you do get the head [of the bat] out, you hook it foul. He's got it down where he knows where to throw it. He throws it on the inside corner, and it just cuts. Every lefty knows what's coming, but it's tough when it's 95 and it's coming in there. And when he misses, he doesn't miss by much. You're aggressive because you know it's coming, and you're geared up for it, but it's such a deception pitch. He throws on the right side of the mound and he throws into you at an angle."

Kevin Millar: "Robb Nen. He's got that stutter step, tap, tap. Plus he's got a great slider, a great out pitch. He's always been the guy that's given me trouble. He throws 96 with that great slider."

WHITE SOX
Carl Everett: "It doesn't matter. I don't have a preference."

Paul Konerko: "Mariano Rivera. He's the best."

Magglio Ordonez: "John Smoltz, Atlanta Braves. I've never faced him. I've seen him on TV a couple times and he has good stuff. I think he's the best closer."

Carlos Lee: "For a right-handed hitter I would say Jeff Nelson [because of] the way he throws across his body with that slider-type pitch he's got."

YANKEES
Jason Giambi: "Probably Mo. For left-handers, it's almost impossible to get a hit off him, because he just throws those cutters in on your hands. You can't get extended to do anything, so the hits he gives up are broken bat hits. He's pretty good."

Derek Jeter: "Mariano Rivera. ... Mo, no question. He's the only one that you know what he's going to throw, but no one can hit him. He's not going to trick you with three or four pitches, he's going to throw you a fastball. He's unreal."

John Flaherty: "Mariano Rivera. ... You know that the only way you're going to get a hit off him is to get lucky. He can make mistakes, and you're still not going to center it and get a swing with the good part of the bat. You're hoping to get lucky, which is not a good feeling."

ANGELS
Troy Glaus: "In that situation, Jeff Nelson. He just gets me out, somehow, some way, every time."

Scott Spiezio: "Mariano, because he's nasty."

Tim Salmon: "Gagne or Rivera. Gagne is a guy who throws hard, but you're up there looking for 97 and he has that 87 mph changeup. As far as Mariano is concerned, I don't know if I've ever had a hit off of him as a closer. I don't know if I've ever had a good swing off him."

David Eckstein: "John Smoltz, because he throws three dominating pitches."

BLUE JAYS
Eric Hinske: "Arthur Rhodes. ... He's left-handed and the throws 100."

Vernon Wells: "Jesus Colome. ... He's got good stuff and he throws across his body. ... When he throws inside, you have no chance of getting away from it."

Chris Woodward: "Byung-Hyun Kim. ... Guys that throw sidearm are pretty tough to pick up."

PIRATES
Jason Kendall: "I'd say Mike Williams. I caught him and I know his stuff. I know his demeanor and I know how he is on the mound. There are a lot of good closers out there, but I know him and I know what he brings. He's one of those guys who is not going to give in and you've got a battle on your hands."

Jack Wilson: "Eric Gagne, because you don't know what he is going to throw. He's got four pitches. He can throw a fastball 95 imph or come with an 87 mile-per-hour changeup."

Brian Giles: "Mike Williams. He's good."

A'S
Miguel Tejada: "Mariano. Nobody comes close. You can't touch him."

Erubiel Durazo: "Rivera. He's the best there is. Too tough. In the National League, maybe Smoltz or Gagne. But I've done pretty good against Smoltz, so maybe Gagne.

Adam Piatt: "Oh, it's gotta be Wee Man [from MTV's 'Jackass.'] He can hide the ball sick, and he's got that nasty upward-plane thing going. Plus you'd be cracking up. No way you could hit that guy."

MLB.com reporters contributed to this feature, which was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

[deranged2005]

Even if he's off for a few days, no one wants to face him.

[ACPS]

What, no Benitez?

[Ansky39]

nice...

funny mo gets respect from opposing batters but in here they want to make nellie closer...

[Stealthspy]

Adam Piatt: "Oh, it's gotta be Wee Man [from MTV's 'Jackass.'] He can hide the ball sick, and he's got that nasty upward-plane thing going. Plus you'd be cracking up. No way you could hit that guy."

[DON'T KNOCK THE ROCK]

ACPS wrote: "What, no Benitez?"

I took note of that too. Even though he throws about 97-98 mph, no one even mentioned him, but in addition to Mariano, Jeff Nelson got a few mentions. I think it was a good move for us.

As an aside, a close friend of mine told me that even though Benitez throws that big heater at 97-98 mph, when the pressure is on him, for some reason, his speed has been clocked at 92-93 mph. That may be the reason he has not had a lot of success in that something happens to him under pressure.