I'm still baffled how a pen that has now shown EVERYBODY to be a potential meltdown risk... is still somehow considered "mismanaged" as the reason for their failures? Way too much retrospecto-scope, hindsight "managing" in here. I know... Fires would have saved everything... even though the guy hasn't pitched out of the pen consistently in 3 years, let alone pitching in the pressure-packed environment of the playoffs.
That was the one thing that Hinch definitely should be called on. It was pretty obvious Harris didn't have it today. You don't need to wait til he's given up 3 or 4 straight singles before yanking him. Hell, there's a very good chance the Royals would've tied it up in the 7th had we not gotten that stolen base overturned. Harris was shaky in that inning too.
LMFAO they blow a 4 run lead after 7 innings in the NLDS clincher game? Yes, yes we will talk about it all day.
I get the urge to be an armchair coach, but everything is 20/20 in hindsight. Blaming Hinch for the 8th inning is beyond a strech; we don't make it to that 8th inning, or the postseason in general, without Hinch. Harris and Sipp were nails for well over most of the year. I did not flinch when he started the 8th with Harris. In hindsight, should he have gone with someone else? Results dictate yes, but not necessarily common sense. The flight to KC will be long, but this team is not done. We still have a game on Wednesday, and based on how Hinch has handled this team and adversity all year, I expect them to come out ready.
Was it? He strikes out Gordon.... sits during the long Astros bottom half where they tack on 3 runs... then delivers an AWFUL pitch to Rios, but follows that up with a seeing-eye single allowed to Escobar, and a bloop single to Zobrist. If he was truly getting "shelled", he wouldn't have made it past that.... but other than the Rios first-pitch ("don't walk him!") pitch, those were not hard hit balls or terribly located pitches. And the bottom line is, nobody in here could offer up a reasonable or even palatable alternative plan... Sipp could have started that inning, but then you get the usual arm-chair complaints about "why can't the manager leave a bullpen pitcher beyond a few pitches... or why can't they go multiple innings?" (which would have certainly been said, rightly so, if Sipp starts that inning and gives up hits). And sometimes... the other team does have a say in the final outcome. Royals were putting up some ridiculously quality AB's (and spoiling a ton of great pitches) that Astros hitters could only dream of trying to accomplish.
the problem is saving Gregerson for the ninth, instead of putting him in when the Royals are threatening, whatever inning that might be
They did put him in. After Sipp. Would you not have put in Sipp? That would have also been questionable.
didn't the royals put their closer for 6 outs? sometimes you got to do something out of the box. i would not have had a problem if luke had gone out there and given up 5 homers. he is your best guy. if they knock him around, you give the royals a bow. It just escalated so quickly.
the problem is, Hinch is terrible, the bullpen is awful, and the hitters are way too inconsistent to be on a good team. Wait, that doesn't make sense.. Ok, Hinch is terrible for mismanaging the bullpen, so the bullpen must be good. Except Harris, Fields, Neshek, Qualls, Perez should never be used because they're terrible. Only a good manager would know how to use them on the days when they're good but not on their bad days. Or maybe good managers go with a 2 pitcher bullpen for the entirety of the playoffs. That must be it.
you may not have had a problem, but 70% of fans would have **** a brick over that if it didn't work out. And there would have been calls for Gregerson's head as closer and as a player on this team.
Wade Davis is only the best reliever in baseball over the last 3 years... and hasn't had a game in that span where he gave up more than 2 runs. Yes, if you have a guy like that... you use the **** out of him in the playoffs (although I doubt Yost would have used him with a 4 run lead). Also, by the season numbers, Luke is not necessarily the "best" guy... hell, wasn't too long ago that people were clamoring for Harris to be the closer. In the end, the Astros bullpen are just all "guys"... they will have their ups and most definitely will have their downs... but that's all they have right now.
Except that there is a long track record of closers not being nearly as effective in that type of setup, for whatever reasons. There is a human component to the sport, and for whatever reason, pitchers tend to be more effective in consistent roles. Besides, to make it work, you'd basically just have to have him warming up every inning just in case things got ugly. And that's a day after a 4-out save the previous night.
why are you guys even talking about this and the inexcusable reason why gattis started today in the 5th hole! Carter or gomez should be batting in that spot, gattis cost us multiple rbi today with this ****ty offense. we wouldnt be here without gattis not being able to get a freaking hit.
Especially match ups. They had 3 of 4 righties in the 8th, including the number 1 and 3 hitter, why save your closer if the game is in the 8th? Have Gregerson pitch the 8th and have Sipp ready in the 9th. Another thing, Oliver Perez should pitch to Hosmer late (8th inning). Oliver is a lefty specialist. This was another mistake by Hinch, he had 3 lefties in a row (Morales was taken out) and did not use him and cost us 2 runs in the 9 after losing by 1. Hinch is terrible, only way we win games is if we win by a lot. Only 2 relievers i really trust are Sipp and Gregerson. Why not use Fiers more? Against tough right handed hitters. If Neshek can't pitch to those righties, then use Fiers in those situations. Harris is better vs lefties, not righties, thats why i was not surprised that 3 of the 4 hits were right handed hitters. If we win game 5 is going to be a nice SURPRISE as Hinch will make bad moves when games are close. Gattis will play Gattis will hit 5th First hitter out of the bench to pinch hit is going to be Lowrie (Even Conger has much better numbers than Lowrie hitting left) Will use Perez incorrectly Thinks Harris is better than Sipp Will not use Fiers who is better than Neshek, Harris, Fields This bad manager has cost us 2 games, and if we continue to play takes McHugh from pitching the second game on the road. Now the decision is Fiers second game or McCullers on the road, where he struggles. Or Kazmir vs a Blue Jays team that kills lefties? I know it wont happen, but i would love to see a different manager next year.
Gregerson was a set up all his life. Gregerson was good pitching in the 8th the day before. Gregerson pitched good in the 8th yesterday.
