I doubt what I think on this will be a revelation to many of you, but I think a pattern of use has emerged. The A team is Stanek, Graveman, Pressly for 7-8-9, and they will be used two days in a row if necessary. The B team is Montero, Maton, Y.Garcia, and I do not think their order for 7-8-9 is established yet although the order I listed seems reasonable to me.
My choice for the Harris role of getting the crucial out no matter what inning would be Graveman.
This, if true, leaves Javier in the role of long reliever, and his inconsistency is to blame, not his talent or his stuff.
Hinch appeared to put an innings limit on Greinke also during the regular 2019 season and often did not allow him to work out of runners on situations. My thought then was Hinch did not trust him completely. Although I totally agreed with bringing in Harris in the 7th in Game Seven, this was continuing Hinch’s season-long pattern with Greinke.
Twice during the 2019 playoffs Hinch pulled him after 4 2/3 with a lead. Both actions were defensible and resulted in wins, but both cost Greinke wins and, to me, indicated a lack of trust.
I think 5+ IP is the absolute minimum acceptable day of work for an older starting pitchers like Zach.
He grew up in a different era.
I think that if he pitches 4 2/3 shutout innings and leaves with a 10-0 lead he would consider that not doing or finishing his job.
Younger pitchers are more used to pitching based on times through the order. If a guy like Luus Garcia pitches 4 2/3 innings of shutout ball with a 10 run lead and gets pulled because the leadoff hitter is up for a 3rd time he would be frustrated but not feel he didn’t do his job.
Montero’s injury is in the “damn, that’s too bad” category. Thus far he has shown the cries to DFA him were nuts. A club should never discard an arm like he has without first trying to find a spot in which the pitcher can be successful. I hope it is nothing serious.