If you want to b**** about it after the fact and blame the manager.... Yeah. I fully blame Keuchel for making bad pitches that inning (especially on an 0-2 count). That is not on Hinch. Not a single person expressed a bit of concern after the 7th inning where he struck out the side and was under 90 pitches (in a tie game... Against a team he still owns).
OPS against Keuchel by pitch count: 1-25: .821 26-50: .742 51-75: .730 76-100: .691 101+: over 1 (only 23 AB)
It makes sense... Some of these umps have been going on 20+ years behind the plate. All other participants in baseball get worse as they get older, yet we're supposed to believe that umps don't?
Not completely, but I have no problem with balls/strikes being taken out of the equation (and I'm a damn purist). That's a matter for the next CBA with the ump's union though.
correct me if I'm wrong but didn't Bregman get a hit off Miller in spring training? someone jog my memory...