The ball was in play once it was strike 3, the catcher had the option of throwing to first or 3rd or just eating the ball...thus "fielder's choice".
I don't think there's any way he's used that way. In his Astros career, he's never pitched multiple innings on back-to-back days, and they've been really good about giving him multiple days off after most of his 2+ inning outings. They might do it out of necessity here and there in the playoffs, but I suspect they will avoid that if at all possible.
I expect he will be used at about the same frequency that Miller was used last year. You know full and well that regular season precedences mean nothing come playoff time. Starters will go on short rest. Lineups will get shuffled after one game to maximize the hot bat (Chris Burke started playing CF during the 2005 NLCS). And when I say multiple innings, it doesn't mean he's going a full 2. He will probably go for 4-5 outs, and he can do that back to back days (some of his 5-6 out pitch counts have been paltry).
Thanks for answering Nick. It's just a hypothetical scenario. Per the example say Keuchel was tapped out having thrown 120-125 pitches over the eight innings and was just done for the night. So Giles comes in to close it out in the 9th and puts the first two men on. Any others want to chime in here? You rolling with Giles in this playoff situation, or does Hinch need to pull him for Devo?
No... because (in the hypothetical situation) he was at 120-125 pitches after it, meaning at his worst, he entered with about 90+ pitches. If Hinch let him get through a 30-40 pitch inning without bringing in Devenski, that's on him. Come playoff time, Devenski is being brought in when there's a lead... at the first hint of trouble. That's the only precedence that is being established with the regular season.
In theory, it's totally defensible to put Devenski in. He strikes out more batters, walks fewer, and gives up a similar ground ball %. This isn't theory though. He's never been in that role, and does yanking Giles jack with him mentally for the reat of the playoffs? I dunno.
Good series WIN to open the second half. Bullpen wasn't overworked and McCullers didn't play. McHugh and Keuchel are near, hopefully.
"does yanking Giles jack with him mentally for the rest of the playoffs"? That most definitely would be the biggest fallout from pulling him.