That was the highest leverage spot in the game to that point. Two men on (Seager) or based loaded (Carter) with 1 out and their best hitters up. Getting out of that inning with limited damage vs a big inning was the difference in the game. So yes, I would have used the highest leverage reliever I had and only one guy has been perfect in relief in the post season. I could live with Abreu or Nerris, but that was a spot Presley could have been used and not using him there meant he wasn’t used at all.
Maldy is Maldy but did anyone expect Pena to be this terrible all year? He showed good power in AAA, last year, and in the first month of the year but then it just went to nothing. In the minors he could hit righties but now he is trash against them. If we have 2022 Pena then we win. He came into camp in stellar shape as well. He was the biggest WTF player to me in 2023.
Pena is not a natural hitter - he has a hard time reading pitches and there are just some pitches that he cannot hit. There are some real limitations to him as an offensive player. He can do things to improve his odds at getting the pitches he wants, and then crushing them - but it isn't always easy to do and requires constant adjustments for him. He made some changes this off season in an effort to increase his contact rate, hoping that it would allow his ceiling to improve. The problem is that it really impacted his power production. I suspect that we seem him make further adjustments this off season - as effort and improvement are not issues for him. Pena in the 9 hole is fine if he can get an average OPS+. Defensively, he lost focus at different points in time, but he had personal stuff going on. I do wonder if the Astros would consider dealing him to another team for a solid starting pitcher and then let Kessinger or Dubon play SS. Neither have power, but will likely get on base more than Pena in the 9 hole.
Shedding Pena after a sophomore year seems as short sighted as waiving JD Martinez, trading Curt Schilling, or drafting Phil Nevin.
I don't think they would shed him - but I could see them trade him for another player with value like a starting pitcher or a high-end reliever.
Nobody has said anything but I would have kept Brown in another inning and then decided about another. He had only thrown 41 pitches, so had at least another inning in him and had only given up 2 baserunners in 2 innings, 1 being a solo HR to Garcia. It was still early and only a 4-2 deficit. Now, I probably still would have pitched France next unless Hunter was able to get through the 5th. I wanted France instead of Brown in the 2nd but would have been wrong. There is no reason to take out Brown just because he had reached 2 innings when he may have been the most effective pitcher (1+ innings) all night. Before the playoffs started it was widely stated that pitchers with "plus stuff " are better in the playoffs than pitchers who get by without it. Apparently everyone forgot but this is a great example.
Javier getting pulled early must have been something the Astros had game-planned. I don’t know what Brown’s current conditioning is like or what they told him to expect ahead of time. I have to think the two innings or pitch count was pre-planned. Ironically a situation where Dusty may have stuck with the plan instead of going by his gut. I don’t disagree with you, but I think it wasn’t the worst move. Leaving in France was much much worse.
The fault I put with dusty... Any time someone is tossing like Brown or France, you need a Maton or Neris ready to enter by the 3rd batter. You don't know what the pitcher has left heading in.
I don't need Crane to spend money... I need him to be smart. Considering what happened to NYM, NYY, SD, etc. big payroll doesn't mean wins if that money is being lit on fire.
Seems like it. I'm all for the argument that Maldonado's game calling skills saves so many more runs than he costs with his bat. I just don't see the data to support that argument. The pitchers performed worse year over year.
