In any individual game, this is true (playing the starters too long). But when looking at the forest over the trees, you can't keep putting in your bullpen after 5 innings every day. The Astros' offense isn't good enough that you're going to have blowouts, so you'll always be in close games, meaning you're going to end up overusing all your good relievers and burning them out. You're right that this could be addressed with getting more RPs, but that's not in Dusty's control. He can only work with the players he has and he has to not destroy their arms. Bielak, France, Blanco, etc are all expendable - they shouldn't be on the playoff roster, so you want them to just eat up as many innings as possible during the season. It's a lot like the middle of 2017 when they were just running AAAA pitchers out there every day and sacrificing games just to not kill the key players. At least this year so far, these scrub pitchers are keeping the team competitive for the most part.
You are making sense. However the team is now in a situation where 1) they are in a dogfight needing to win to get into the playoffs which is very much in jeopardy. 2) the offense is down its best player, always has hitters playing that are better than those on the bench, and are just plain weak and not dependable right now. 3) The Reds series was winnable 4) the 3 AAA starters were at a point where fans, much less the manager, knew it was a huge risk to keep them in the game and the team certainly can't afford to risk a loss. If he had done that once or twice to rest and protect the bullpen then fine but he did it all 3 games.
Yeah, I don't disagree that the circumstances are dicey, and the longer it goes on, the more they risk missing the playoffs. But I also don't want them to burn the bullpen such that if they do make the playoffs, their odds of winning the WS are minimal. Despite being in 6th place in the AL, the Astros still have the 4th best WS odds (behind Atlanta, TB, and the Dodgers) because they are still built right. It's a matter of surviving this messy period - I don't know the best way to do that, though.
Maton is likely not available pitched the last 2 days, and 3 of last 4. Nobody else pitched Saturday and Sunday, or more than 2 of the past 4. No reason to not be ready to bring in a RP if the game is close once Hunter gets to 3rd time through the lineup. This is close to a must win game.
They dont win this series & these shenanigans continue through All-Star Break, tell pops to stay in Seattle.
The Phillies fired Joe Girardi last season and it was the spark they needed to make their run. Just saying… Dusty had a truly special pitching staff last year, some players that peaked at the right time, and some clutch, timely hitting. The team’s talent overcame his ineptitude to win his first WS. Now, without the talent and with our stars underperforming, we are languishing. Time to make a move!
Has there ever been a manager fired mid season after a world series win? I wouldn't mind seeing Baker fired and feel it would be a step forward but does the organization have the guts to do this kind of move? The organization should be worried about doing what's best for the team moving forward but I would be shocked if they fire Baker before the season is over. A lot of people believe Baker was a PR hire and if the organization is worried about bad PR they probably won't fire him before this season is over.
They fired their GM after winning the world series, and this after a excellent trade deadline and what looks to be a stacked draft class.
We can't waste a single month in our window. It's simply too costly. It's time -- thank you Dusty for your service but you are now relieved from your duty.
Dusty don't do his stupid ass lineup crap in the playoffs. Whether that is truly his decisions or if the FO stepped in, either way the lineups in the playoffs were built to win Problem is dusty could play all his lineup games in the regular season because our pitching was going to win us enough games that it wouldn't matter. In 21 the offense was so good he could fill it with whoever he wanted and we were going to score anyway This year if we are gonna make the playoffs he is going to have to contribute by making out lineups to win most every night I loved the way AJ handled all of that. He put out best out there on a daily basis and when they needed to rest he would rest 3-4 of them on the same day, that way most games we were playing our best.
Much more common in the NBA... speaking of which looks like Isiah Thomas is the NBA version of Jeff Bagwell.
Bielak, France, Blanco eating innings = Giving the opposing team the game. This ends up taxing the bullpen anyway when they end up having to pitch in extra innings after choking a 5 run lead in the 5th/6th inning. He's managing them like he did JV, Framber, Garcia last season. Stubbornly so set in his ways. It always the same criticism every team he ends up.
Stros are 8-12 in games started by those 3. 4.04 ERA 20 starts, 77 runs scored. In 8 of those 20 starts the Astros have scored 2 or fewer runs. [not including today, I think]
2018 ... "WS hangover" / Lost ALCS to BOS... 103-59 (Hinch) Days in 1st - 142 (game days) Farthest Behind - 3.5 games Longest Losing Streak - 5 games 2019 ... Lost WS to WAS ... 107-55 (Hinch) Days in 1st - 138 (game days) Farthest Behind - 4.5 games Longest Losing Streak - 7 games 2020** ... Lost ALCS to TB ... 29-31 (Baker) **Year of the Cough Days in 1st - 9 (game days) Farthest Behind - 7 games Longest Losing Streak - 6 games 2021 ... Lost WS to ATL ... 95-67 (Baker) Days in 1st - 101 (game days) Farthest Behind - 4 games Longest Losing Streak - 6 games 2022 ... Champs ... 106-56 (Baker) Days in 1st - 139 (game days) Farthest Behind - 3.5 games Longest Losing Streak - 4 games Baker's 2 managerial outings in WAS in 2016 / 2017 ... 95-67 & 97-65. Before last year's tremendous & righteous run, gotta go all the way back to SF in 1993 where he last had a season with a 100+ winning ball club (103). Last year should have been it... ride off a champ. 2023 Days in 1st - never Farthest Behind - 6.5 now? Longest Losing Streak - we at 5 knocking on 6 or 6 creeping on 7...?
