Just woke up, and I'm still pissed off at Don Mattingly's mismanagement of that Game 1.
Let's start with this much-repeated tidbit from Elias (on the ESPN.com game recap sidebar as well):
From Elias: Clayton Kershaw (LAD): 1st starter to allow at least 7 ER in consecutive postseason starts in MLB History (7 ER in 2013 NLCS Game 6)
And to be clear, both of those times it was Mattingly's call to leave Kershaw in. Mattingly's instincts on when to take a pitcher out are flawed.
Exhibit two: bringing in Pedro Baez. If the Cardinals have suddenly figured out how to crush Kershaw's fastball, why bring in a kid who only has a fastball? Especially when all year long, Mattingly has been using his bullpen arms liberally in late-game situations, rotating Brandon League and Scott Elbert and Brian Wilson and everyone else with reckless abandon; why go to Baez here, and now?
I can't figure these two moves (or non-moves) out. I'm struggling to figure out how we can mount a World Series run here, if we have to win in spite of Mattingly (and not because of him, a la Lasorda).
2 comments:
Nats up 1-0 against Evil.
I never thought it would be PAINFUL to watch this game I love so much but today it is. I hope it gets better before the REAL game starts.
^Oh yeah, in the fifth.
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