Complaining about baseball managers who yank their starting pitchers early is akin to kvetching about the omnipresence of the iPhone. The battle has been lost. Analytics rule the game.
Most of the time, the numbers are right. As disheartening as it is to see aces get pulled at the first sign of trouble, pitchers almost always become less effective each time through the order. The better bet is going with an anonymous reliever with 98 mile-per-hour heat and dastardly movement. But on Tuesday, the Red Sox saw how overly aggressive pitching management can sometimes backfire.
When Alex Cora pulled Nick Pivetta after five innings, it wasn’t surprising. While the ballsy hurler whipped his way through the Astros’ lineup, he was gearing up to face their fearsome sluggers for a third time — the ultimate no-no. Pivetta seemed so surprise he was allowed to face Jose Altuve to close out the fifth, he nearly fell off the mound while attempting his 0-2 pitch.
Pivetta eventually retired Altuve, ending his night with just 65 pitches thrown. During any other era — including five years ago — he would’ve been back out for the sixth. But Cora summoned lefty Josh Taylor, who faced two hitters, including the left-handed Michael Brantley, before allowing a single to Yordan Alvarez. That blemish prompted Cora to signal for Adam Ottavino. He promptly struck out Carlos Correa looking to end the inning. That was the only batter he faced. The Red Sox burned through two late-game options to get through a single inning. And it hurt them in the ninth.
With the game tied at two, Nathan Eovaldi was tasked with getting the Red Sox to the bottom of the frame. Instead, he coughed up the lead — thanks, Laz Diaz — and exited with the bases loaded and two outs. At just 24 pitches, Eovaldi, the Red Sox’ best pitcher this postseason, could’ve been left out there for another batter. But with Brantley coming up, Cora wanted a better matchup. Unfortunately, he didn’t have many options at his disposal.
That’s how Martin Perez entered Game 4 of the ALCS in its most crucial spot. It took just one pitch for Brantley to clear the bases with a three-run double. Game over.
There’s no question Taylor, or even Ottavino, would’ve been better in that spot. Unfortunately, they were already used up. Baseball’s Ivy League overlords insist all 27 outs are created equal, and thus, managers should deploy their best relievers in the middle innings if the situation calls for it. Most of the time, that’s right. But it wasn’t Tuesday.
The Red Sox coughed up the lead, and only had three outs to play with.
Unlike other modern managers, Cora doesn’t just consult his binder full of numbers. He combines the analytics with his gut, and has obvious feel for his players. But last night, the numbers won. Pivetta was more than strong enough to start the sixth. Yet, Cora took him out. As a result, when the game was truly on the line, he had nowhere to turn.
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