Kevin Cash obviously went to Dave Roberts’ school of overmanaging, or the Rays’ front office is controlling in-game decisions more than we ever thought.
When your starting pitcher has allowed two hits in 5 1/3 innings and has no walks along with nine strikeouts, you don’t pull him unless his pitch count is ridiculous. Snell was only at 73 pitches so that clearly wasn’t the case. Also, considering the Rays don’t ever let starting pitchers work deep into games, their bullpen was overworked and overexposed this postseason. Good hitters can hit good relievers once they get to see them multiple times in a series. Cash was lucky the Astros didn’t take advantage and win the series when he removed Charlie Morton as he was dealing in game 7 of the ALCS.
If I was Blake Snell, I’d be livid, and I’d consider asking for a trade. I’m a Cy Young winner and my organization refuses to treat me like I’m an ace.
Nevermind that the Astros won in 17 in part because they had a bona fide Ace. And went to 2 more LCS* because they had 2, and got to G7 of a WS with 2.
And only lost that WS bc the opponent’s 2 aces pitched better.
*we should also acknowledge that this 4th ALCS trip was without an Ace, and bullpen usage more closely resembled the ‘avoid a 3rd time thru the order’ ethos. But not slavishly so to borrow Jim’s wording.
Hinches decisions in game 7 win game 7 90% of the time. That pitch Smith threw is foul or an awkward swinging strike over the top of the ball like 99.99% of the time.
I remember a part in Ball Four when Bouton talks about a discussion with other pitchers on whether or not a great pitch can be hit. Some argued that it couldn’t…that if a pitch is hit, it was either the wrong pitch, or the wrong time, or the wrong location. Others insisted that sometimes you make the exact right pitch and hitter, lucky or otherwise, hits it anyway. I fall into the latter category.
I do also. Cannot remember any examples from my playing days (did I ever throw a great pitch???), but Harris threw a great pitch to a great location. The clanked-off-the-pole chip shot was fate or luck or karma or something not normal. It should have been a ground ball somewhere.