Manager Second-Guessing of the Night: Terry Francona
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In the bottom of the 8th, Hasegawa relives Mateo.
Varitek singles
McCarty doubles (again with the doubles)
Men on second and third, Gabe Kapler-R is set to bat against Hasegawa. Kapler v RHP this year: .234/.270/.298, three year .268/.334/.393
Opposing hitters v. Hasegawa this year (3-year)
RHB: .300/.383/.420 (.228/285/.362)
LHB: .237/.326/.368 (.252/.326/.351)
What you make of that matchup depends on your taste, I guess.
Melvin has the M’s best reliever warm in Guardado. This is startling in itself, but it’s still likely that he wouldn’t bring in Guardado until you’ve got a lefty up. Meanwhile, Hasegawa’s been craptabulous this year and Aurilia’s been put in at short, sooo the defense just took a step back, too.
After Kapler, due up is Pokey Reese-R, who’s helpless against righties and average against lefties, then Mark Bellhorn-B, who’s been getting on base (.246/.387/.408) well this year, followed by Youklis-R and Ortiz-L.
I think you leave Kapler in there and see what happens. Hasegawa’s leaving the ball out to be hit, as he has most of this season, under double-plus pressure not to walk the bases loaded, and Kapler can make contact and maybe drive it (how come Kapler’s never hit for the kind of power everyone thought he would? That dude is freaking ripped, he could throw the ball farther than he hits it.)
Instead, Damon bats for Kapler, Melvin brings Guardado in (“He’s learning! Yayyy!”)
Now, it doesn’t work out as well as we’d like, but it’s weird to see Melvin put his best reliever out there when he really needed his best pitcher out there.
Other notes from this game:
Using Ron Villone, Classic Swingman, in the LOOGY role is ridiculous, especially when Myers was up later so heee was available.
Generally speaking, when people propose rules changes to baseball I roll my eyes. The rules we have, ignored and battered as they are, work well enough. We should enforce them as they’re written and then see about adding on (which I understand makes me a super-conservative on that).
That said, I’m starting to come around on Bill James’ suggestions to improve baseball, particularly those around limiting in-game substitutions — that pitchers, say, should have to face at least two batters before they can be removed. This constant five-six ptichers/game strategy of Melvin’s was old last year and it’s torture this year as the team loses.
For one, it’s dumb. If you’re to the point where you’re selecting pitchers based on their ability to get one-sided batters out, you’re in trouble already. Plus churning through them like this risks disaster with each swap. Every time you bring a pitcher in, you don’t really know what they’ll be throwing that day, and there’s a significant chance you won’t be getting the idealized guy you thought you were bringing in. Relieving a pitcher who is cruising or dealing some filthy cards to secure an unknown marginal advantage for one batter is short-sighted and dumb.
For two, if we’re going to lose, could we at least be quick about it? I know the Mariner hitters have been pitching in towards this goal, but they can’t carry the load alone.