Game Six and Ron Washington succumbed to closer fever, albeit in another form.
In the top of the fifth, Wash sent starter Colby Lewis to the plate with a bat in his hand. Lewis's middling pitching performance (three runs due to ragged defense on two hits in four innings) had been enough to secure a 4-3 lead when his turn in the order came up.
At that point, with two days' rest and no more than one game remaining, Wash eschewed a pinch hitter, saving him for a key situation. The problem is, he was looking at the key situation.
It was only the fifth inning, but the bases were loaded with two outs in a one-run game. Lewis, who bunted into a double play his first time up, gave the Rangers virtually no chance of extending their lead. Possible pinch hitter, Yorvit Torrealba, hit .273/.306/.399 this year, vastly improving the odds of Texas busting the game open. The moment Ron Washington planned to wait for was staring him in the face and he missed it.
Of course, hitting for the pitcher would end Colby Lewis's night prematurely and force Washington to seek bullpen help. So? The pen would never be in better shape. After two days off, only tomorrow's starter, Matt Harrison, would be unavailable.
As I write this, it's still 4-3 in the middle innings. But if the Cardinals go ahead, Washington's decision is going to loom very large. He passed up a chance to put the game out of reach in favor of another inning or two from a starter whose performance was easily fungible.
Why "the closer effect?" Because managers are so hidebound about using their closers only in the ninth, they blow opportunities to shut down the opposition when the game is actually on the line. Though not the same, this mistake was analogous and could conceivably cost the Rangers the championship.
b
Of course, hitting for the pitcher would end Colby Lewis's night prematurely and force Washington to seek bullpen help. So? The pen would never be in better shape. After two days off, only tomorrow's starter, Matt Harrison, would be unavailable.
As I write this, it's still 4-3 in the middle innings. But if the Cardinals go ahead, Washington's decision is going to loom very large. He passed up a chance to put the game out of reach in favor of another inning or two from a starter whose performance was easily fungible.
Why "the closer effect?" Because managers are so hidebound about using their closers only in the ninth, they blow opportunities to shut down the opposition when the game is actually on the line. Though not the same, this mistake was analogous and could conceivably cost the Rangers the championship.
b
1 comment:
Can you believe how it ended up? Texas really wants to give it to Stl, huh? Wow!
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