Then you should read my thread title - AJ should trust his pen more in the WS. Have you just been an Astros fan since they moved to the AL and never watched any NL games?
From the post-game, it sounded like Keuchel was next in line behind McCullers to bridge to Giles -- which was assuredly the right call for a game 7. The fact they were able to save Keuchel for game 1 (with Verlander on normal rest for game 2!) may end up being one of the more underrated aspects of yesterday. But yes... we really need to get Devo, Musgrove, and Giles back to their full capabilities. With Morton and McCullers pitching like studs yesterday, they've earned the game 3 and 4 starts -- that should hopefully create some role clarity for Peacock and get him back to see nasty side. Interesting to see how Hinch wants to use McHugh -- all he did was pitch 4 shutout innings in relief.
No one...and I repeat...no one has been a Houston Astros/Colt .45’s (do you even know who they are) fan longer than me. Hinch should do what needs to be done in the World Series. It’s not the regular season. One game, one inning, may very well hold the key to winning or losing the series.
Bully is shaky, but we're fortunate to have two aces/horses (Keuchel/JV) and multiple 4-6 inning guys (LMJ/McHgh/Morton/Peacock*). *Hand shivering while typing Peacock. We will need < 5 IP this next series outside of those guys unless games turn into barn-burners. Let's score some runs !!!
Then what is the point for you to make such irrelevant argument just for the sake of argument? The game will be played in the NL format, if your opponent will know you have zero confidence on your pen, which right now AJ is, they will always pitch around the guy before the pitcher or just walk him to get to the pitcher. Even a fifth grader can see this coming. Our pitchers don't even have much experience to lay down a bunt, so basically they are an automatically out.
Hinch will do what reasonably needs to be done to win any and all winnable games. If it means using McHugh instead of Devenski, he’ll do it. Just because you think he needs to trust the bullpen more, doesn’t mean he will. Only 4 of the games will be played in the NL format and if it goes 6+ games Keuchel and Verlander will pitch in 3 of those 4. So, in the NL format, they have their two best bullpen avoiding pitchers going.
Pitchers are always an automatic out regardless of experience, that isn't an advantage for them. If they do walk the 8 hitter, the pitcher will lay down a bunt to try and get him into scoring position. If around the 5th or 6th inning the perfect storm comes up and the pitcher is in a RBI situation, with 2 outs,in a close game, it will be a tough call...for either manager...the same way it has been for a century.
Im referring to his in-game managing. This goes back to the 2015 ALDS game 4, this year pulling Lance, and this last game 7 when Morton was in trouble in the 5th and Hinch still didnt have anybody warming in the pen. It was still a 1 run lead and we were lucky to get out of that jam cause of Bregman and McCann. This team was built to succeed by itself. I credit the majority to Luhnow and Wade.
That’s weird to me to point out a successful decision last night (not warming anyone up). For example, Kahnle warmed up early last night and didn’t come in. He subsequently warmed up again and came in and was responsible for 3 runs. Perhaps things would have been different if he hadn’t needlessly warmed up the first time. And yeah...Morton had nothing to do with that week contact from Frazier or the subsequent grounder to Altuve to get out of the inning. Sometimes the best decisions are the ones not made. Hinch perfectly managed that game last night. He did not over manage in either game 6 or game 7.
If Hinch left LMJ out there in game 4 and he gets lit, Hinch would have gotten torched. If he went to a reliever instead of Verlander in the LDS and it failed, he would have gotten torched. If he pulls Morton yesterday, and the next guy failed to get out of the jam, Hinch would have heard about that. Baseball more than any other sport is simply about how well the players perform, many calls can be viewed as good or bad depending on the end result The only significant mistake I think he has made was not going to Giles in Game 4 to start the 8th. His middle relievers have been awful every time out, and now he's having to dance around it, that's a really tough spot for any manager
So lets say, hypothetically, the game did get out of hand with a double into the gap and both base runners score, what then? You allow him to continue to pitch, when they were seeing well against him? Why not have McCullers go ahead and warm up since he was next in line to pitch? Of course he had everything to do with the weak contact, but it took a perfect throw to get that out. If was off line in anyway, its still 1 out and 1st and 2nd occupied. With NO ONE warming up in a tied game 7. Its easy to argue in hindsight, but there was no contingency plan whatsoever.
I would say he didn't want McCullers coming into mess, and he thought Morton at that point was still far better than any option out of the bullpen, and I pretty much agreed. They weren't exactly lighting Morton up, so he was gonna roll with him. You can stall and get a reliever up and ready in only a few minutes if s**t got really deep.
This argument reminds me of a time when Garner was managing and Joe Morgan was on a telecast. Morgan says “Garner HAS to send the runner on this pitch”. Runner held and there was a pitch out. Morgan says “Garner got lucky there”.
It game 7. He came into the game saying, 'the whole pen is up for use'. At that point you get 2 guys warming up right away, even if you dont intend on using them. There would be no reason to let Morton linger if he gave up some runs at that point.
If you still think he is the best guy to get outs, yes you do let him "linger". He was not going to use his middle relievers in a close game, he just wasn't. Whether they get up or not seems pretty inconsequential. If anything I would say it might have a mental effect on Morton knowing it's all on him.
To further the discussion...who should he have warmed up and ready to come in to limit potential damage keeping in mind that he also may not have wanted to do what Girardi did with Kahnle (warm up a guy only not to use him while also wanting him later in the game)?
If Lance was next up, why not go ahead and get him ready like I previously stated. Seal said something about Hinch maybe not wanting to bring him in mid-inning and with traffic on. I can understand that but Lance came in throwing nothing but his slurves. He would struck them out or induced a double play ball, even pop outs wouldve worked. This is all of course hypothetical with the runner scoring from thrid and Bregs didnt make a perfect throw. So there wouldve been 1 out and man on 1st and 2nd, tied game.
