Post#266 » by Randle McMurphy » Wed Aug 30, 2023 6:18 am
Parataxis wrote:Randle McMurphy wrote:Parataxis wrote:With Kirk as the DH, why the heck wasn't he PRed for???
Looks pretty clear that Belt isn't available for some reason, so they don't have the bench depth to do much of anything. The real question is why are you sending the slowest player in the majors in a 2 run deficit to tag on a medium depth flyball. At best, that's a 50/50 play and even if you score him you still need another run to tie. The cost/benefit analysis doesn't check out at all.
They are an absurdly dumb team.
We had McCoy on the bench as well, no?
Apparently they did. I assumed he wasn't there because they ended up putting Biggio at shortstop, which he basically hasn't done as a professional baseball player.
The optimal move in that spot is pinch running, but I understand the inclination not to given that they were down two runs and had a short bench (Schneider also got burned a few days ago in extras by pinch running D. Schneider which likely played into it). It's a conservative play, but sure, you get to keep Kirk's bat in the lineup that way and also keep a pinch running option available for the 9th. What I simply don't understand is taking a massive risk right after that to score that very run with the worst baserunner in baseball in a two run game. The manager's conservative decision simply doesn't match up with Rivera's/Kirk's incredibly risky decision on the bases.
One flew east, one flew west, one flew over the cuckoo’s nest.