Game 2: Bullpen battle won by Nats

Question: If your new buddy Charlie Manuel is so smart, what on earth was he thinking tonight?

Answer: Manuel? Never heard of him.

Fifteen hours after my post crediting manager Charlie Manuel for steering his squad back into the playoff race, and just five hours after he used the bullpen effectively to sink the Nationals 2-1, he pulls off a bullpen stunt I can’t explain.

Number one: I know it's the Mighty MadUrWag and all, but Ryan Madson, Ugueth Urbina and Billy Wagner should be unavailable. That’s number one. Using them in Game 2 of today's day-night double dip meant working all three of them three times in 24 hours, and twice in five hours. Forget it!

Second, with all the funky bodies, why pull a fresh Aaron Fultz after the sixth, especially with the pitchers’ spot due to lead off the bottom of the seventh? Fultz’s sixth wasn't perfect, but he didn't surrender any runs, and by all accounts, the left-hander has done enough this season to earn a little trust beyond a spot inning. Instead, Cormier relieved Fultz in the top half of the seventh.

In the bottom half, the door was open for a dynamic pinch hit opportunity! Here were the choices: Kenny Lofton, Tomas Perez, Endy Chavez, Mike Lieberthal or Ramon Martinez. Who would you chose? Manuel chose Chavez. Chavez struck out.

But that’s a small point.

Here’s the bigger issue. Pinch-hitting for Cormier meant there were five pitchers remaining to hold the 4-3 lead. They were: Madson (pitched twice in last 24 hours), Urbina (pitched twice in last 24 hours), Wagner (pitched twice in last 24 hours), Geoff Geary and Eude Brito, who has yet to pitch in the big leagues.

Unless you go with a dead arm, Manuel backed himself into a corner to finish the game with two innings of Geary and Brito.

Manuel went with the rubber-armed Urbina, and right away - even before the first pitch was tossed - I could tell he wasn’t fresh. The Nationals hit him hard, taking a 5-4 lead in a two-run eighth.

The bottom line: there were much better options, including handing a bat to Cormier, who had thrown just eight quick pitches in the top half of the seventh. Chavez, Cormier, is there much of a difference?

Almost as quickly as the Phils took command of the wild card lead, they are in danger of losing it (Houston game still in progress at press time).

And just as quickly as Charlie Manuel was starting to look pretty good, I'm scratching my head again.

Comments

[George S]

You had a better chance to get to Wagner by using Cormier for 2 innings. Especially after he was very effective in his 1st inning of work. CM should have kept him in.
The 3-reliever set will get scored on at least half the time, and it did 3 out of 4 times it was used against the Nats. You shouldn't be risking it with a 1-run lead, especially when Cormier looked good.

I still believe that it is tougher to find an effective pitcher than it is to score a run. (Huh? What is he talking about?) In other words, if you have an effective pitcher in the game, do not take him out of the game for a PH in order to try to score a run with 2 outs when you are already ahead.

Say your pitcher (Lieber the other night) is hitting .125 and you PH for him with someone batting .250. With 2 outs and men on base, you've improved your chances of scoring 1 out of 8 times you do it. Compare that to the chance that the pitcher than relieves Lieber will give up a run. Is it higher than a 1 in 8 chance? Almost always.

I'm with you. I thought CM was learning and getting more imaginative. Maybe 2 games in one day is too much for him.

[Oisin]

I left work last night at 10:30pm, happy in the knowledge we'd won two, but desperate for the third win. Gaahh. I'm surprised that Manuel used the Troika on so little rest. It's not creative, just obvious.

Just a note to the general phlogging community - I'm writing feck all right now on account of work, but I'm greatful as ever of the variety of opinion on the phils' attempt at a playoff push. Seeing as I can't watch any games right now, ye are my (most discerning) eyes and ears!

[martin]

it is not in the rules of baseball that a relief pitcher may only pitch one inning. Either Fultz or Cormier could have gone 2.

[theragtopguy]

Well, Jason I bit my tongue after I read all of your praise of CM. As evidenced by my previous rants, I am not a fan of his.

I will admit that lately he has done a better job, but sometimes he just seems to get brain lock or something as evidenced last night. I really had to laugh about that Chavez/Cormier remark. I don't know what a crappy hitter like him is even doing in the majors.

I'm going down tonight, so I hope they can pull one out over Pittsburgh.

The thing with CM is that even if they win the wild card and get into the playoffs I think he will absolutely get outmanaged. I mean for example CM vs. LaRussa? Come on man!

[Tom G]

"it is tougher to find an effective pitcher than it is to score a run" should be on t-shirts and bumper stickers...children should learn it before "i before e, except after c"