Yes, he was perfect the first 7 hitters and allowed 2 baserunners and 1 run through 3 innings. That's not ideal, but if Blanco ( or Arrighetti) is fresh to take over in the post season, that would not be tragic.
If Verlander is even ok, you pitch that guy. But with the era over 5 you have to go with the hot hands and let him simmer even if you don't want to.
The worse team in baseball (ok maybe not the very worse) just blew JV the **** up in 4.2 IPs and 86 pitches. JV's ERA is trending north since he has returned. JV's role in the playoffs can not be assumed. As of right now, JV is on the playoff roster and may not be in the starting rotation and will be on a very short leash. Things can change between now and the playoffs. JV should get one more start in Cleveland. We will see.
Either you don’t watch the games or you’re blind. He’s got a 9 ERA since returning, a 5.5 ERA on the year and he just got hit hard by one of the worst lineups in baseball. You think he’s getting Soto and Judge out? Lmao
Verlander also saw what happened to Scherzer when he rushed back. He has a bit more self awareness thankfully.
We’re getting ahead of ourselves… but any team that willingly pitches to those two (when the rest of their lineup is very navigable) is asking for danger.
Show me where pitchers have said they prefer to pitch to Caratini. This smells like the same horse **** we were fed about Maldy last year.
It won't be easy but that is what he is paid to do, bite the bullet for the good of the team. If managers can't do it, they shouldn't be managers.....you are a manager because you CAN do the hard stuff. DD
Except last year, the Maldy talk DID have some truth to it, just not nearly to the extent it was reported. Caratini is a great back up catcher, and can start more games than the average #2 catcher, but ( as I predicted) he has fallen back to his career levels with more exposure. 99 wRC+ since middle of August. 81 wRC+ in the past 30 days 92 wRC+ in September. Nothing wrong with that as a catcher, but you don't actively try to find ways to get him into the lineup.
The Manager doesn't make that call. It is an organizational roundtable with Dana Brown sitting in the biggest, tallest chair. They will choose which 12 pitchers are on the roster, who are thecstarters and map out a substation plan scenario by scenario. All Espada has to do is make the I-game moves they have all decided ahead of time.
The Maldy mystique was a lie. The pitchers didn’t ask for him. I think that’s a false narrative that Dusty/Maldy lovers cling to. It’s all they have.
