This, except I would have the option of Keuchel for a couple of innings too depending on how the game goes. If it is a tie or one run game and McHugh's pitch count gets up there and the Royals bats start coming alive, I wouldn't hesitate to put DK out there. I'm slightly worried that Fiers would struggle since he hasn't pitched in live game action in a while. He absolutely needs to be utilized out of the bullpen if we advance, though.
The opposing team also matters. Chances are, the current Astros bullpen guys would have no problem striking out the Astros lineup... the Royals' lineup is not as easy to strikeout.
Fiers strikes out a batter an inning, which is about the same as McCullers and VV. The only pitcher we have that strikes people out at a particularly high level is Fields. Fields has the most baffling peripherals in the entire league.
Chances are, Fields numbers get much worse if he's actually consistently used in high-pressure/save situations. He looks scared ****less every time he's called upon to do something significant... and often gets his K's after he's already allowed something to happen.
I would say all hands on deck. I really think that is how it should have been for Game 4 minus Kuechel of course. I think Kazmir should have come in to close out the game yesterday but that would require some creative thinking. Even Fiers might have been a different look for KC. I just remember the Astros playoff runs where Garner would not hesitate to bring Pettite, Clemens, or Oswalt out of the pen at any given moment. This bullpen is just not going to get it done. Only one I would live and die with is Gregerson and even he could blow a save pretty easily. I really wouldn't question Hinch if he put in Kazmir (a veteran who has been there done that) or Fiers (an experienced pitcher who has thrown a no-hitter this season) in there to close out a winner take all game. If they blow it so be it. The bullpen guys were going to blow it anyways. Let's hope we get to Cueto early and continue it this time. Hopefully the Royals leave him in for a while if he is struggling because we don't want to see their pen. If McHugh can go 7 strong or more I would be ecstatic.
Revisionist history... Pettite never came out of the pen and Clemens only came in when a game was going 18 innings and they were basically out of pitchers. If Hinch had a pitcher as good as Lidge was, he wouldn't hesitate to use him just as Garner did... hell, that coaching staff spent half the 2004 season trying to keep Dotel as the closer, while Lidge was being wasted in the 8th inning role... so lets take a deep breath before we anoint them as superior managers.
Series is tied at two games a piece. What a way to go through life with a defeatist attitude. I'm sure you're a joy to be around. If the Rockets had your attitude back in 94-95, there wouldn't be just one, but two WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP banners hanging from the rafters.
Because we all think Keuchel on 2 days rest is better than our Bullpen. We're not calling for him to pitch 6 innings. I'd actually be happy with one! Pitchers throw bullpen sessions between starts, let's just let Keuchel' be in real game action.
And before y'all respond. Yes, I know Keuchel stopped with the bullpen sessions the second half of the year to conserve his arm. Just now is the time for all hands on deck.
This feels just like 2005; the Pujols game... I would have bet $12 trillion dollars we were going to lose that series... This team seems completely and totally oblivious to the stakes. They went to New York and blasted one of sports' most iconic franchises then moved on to the defending AL champions and absolutely manhandled them for essentially 34 straight innings. KC has the advantage, sure - that crowd is going to be wild. But there's good reason to be optimistic, as much as yesterday sucked.
We took our ace up to STL along with a group of experienced vets. The Yankees were just not very good to finish up the year.
Yeah, vets like Bagwell and Biggio, who were a combined, like - off the top of my head, 1-for-3,876 in their postseason careers... That '05 team was not very good, offensively. And while McHugh isn't our ace, it's not like we're starting Pete Munro...
Well then how would you explain that we've beaten KC two times in this series (one time in KC), and were up 6-2 going into the 8th yesterday? Like Hakeem said to his teammates after they blew those two home games against PHX in the playoffs (after having 20 pt leads), "if we were good enough to get up that big then we can certainly do it again and this time we'll close them out". We have a guy on the mound that's won TWENTY gms this yr, AND beat KC just a few days back in KC. They had a stat on MLB the other day of the pitchers with the most wins since Aug 1st of last season. McHugh and Arrieta were at the top of the list with 26 wins. More then Greinke, Kershaw, Bumgarner, and any other pitcher you want to name.
I'd rather not risk an injury to our 27 year old Cy-Young Winner for an inning of relief two days after he threw 120 pitches. We have Fiers/Kazmir both well rested and able to help if needed. It just doesn't make sense to me. 1. Risking injury 2. Not knowing how well Dallas will pitch on 2 days rest 3. Not knowing how well Dallas can adjust to coming out of the bullpen Use Fiers/Kazmir to get you to Gregerson, don't risk injury to our best pitcher that will hopefully be pitching for us in the playoffs for years to come.
I threw out this idea before Game 3 and people blasted me... Now I think it'll actually happen. The Royals will use all men on deck and we should to. It's do or die for both our seasons. I say McHugh goes 7/8 innings then take him out for Keuchel. He can do it.
