Halfway There

Either Dave Roberts is the worst manager in many a World Series, or the unluckiest.  Twice this Series, the Dodgers’ skipper has made pitching changes that have cost his team the game.  Personally, I’m leaning towards choice #1.

In the seventh inning of the first game, LA reliever Pedro Baez had struck out two and walked a batter, which put two runners on with two out.  Rather than have the righty reliever face left-handed hitting Rafael Devers, Roberts brought in lefthander Alex Wood.  Boston manager Alex Cora countered with a right-handed pinch hitter, Eduardo Nunez, who hit a three-run homer.  Me, I’m sticking with Baez, who was throwing nasty, high heat and who, according to The Athletic, had retired 32 straight left-handed hitters.

In the fifth inning of game two, Los Angeles starter Hyun-Jin Ryu found himself in a two-out, bases-loaded jam.  Rather than have the lefty face right-handed hitting Steve Pearce, Roberts summoned right-hander Ryan Madson.  Too bad for Roberts he couldn’t ask for a mulligan.  Madson proceeded to walk Pearce on five pitches and give up a two-run single to J.D. Martinez, another right-handed hitter.

The gutsy move would’ve been to keep Ryu in to face Pearce.  Why?  Because all Pearce managed against the Dodgers’ starters was two pop ups.  From what I could see, Ryu was what us old timers would call effectively wild, something that modern analytics doesn’t account for.  Oh, well.  Roberts went by the new-school book, and got the matchup he wanted.  Advantage, Red Sox.

One last thing:  When you change pitchers to get a matchup in the fifth inning of anything but game seven of the World Series, you’re in trouble.  But don’t tell the Dodgers.  On second thought, they probably wouldn’t understand.