Its pretty tough to win a baseball game when your opponent out-pitches you, the opposing manager out-manages you, your opponents defense plays better than your own, and your opponent has more key, clutch hits than you do. Such was Game 3 for the Giants. I wont pile on Bochy for his decisions tonight- I certainly could, but I think that would almost be a cheap shot at this point- but I absolutely do not like the way he is approaching the rest of The Series. Down 2-1 and being outplayed most of the way, Bochy insists on not changing anything. Same rotation, same lineup. The first thing I suggest he changes, and I feel this is almost obvious at this point, is putting Morse back in left. Morse says hes healthy, your team just made Jeremy Guthrie look like Greg Maddux, put Morse back in the lineup as of Game 4 and leave him there. The second thing that bothers me is not moving up Bumgarner to pitch tomorrow, which practically eliminates him from having a shot to pitch a Game 7 if this all even gets that far. Lets say best case scenario, the Giants win the next two and fly back to KC, up 3 to 2. Now with Bochys decision to not change his rotation you are hoping that Peavy (who of all the ballparks he has pitched in over his career has had the LEAST success in KC) and Hudson (who looked like a middle-rotation guy tonight, no more no less) can bring a World Championship home from a hungry, delirious environment in Kansas City? I think that equates to fighting uphill. Bumgarner is in the prime of his life mentally and physically and this is the damn World Series. There are no guarantees this franchise will be back with an opportunity like this one any time soon. Keeping all if that fresh in mind, I say Bumgarner tomorrow on three days rest and then potentially on three days rest again in what may become a one-game, winner take all scenario on the road where Bum has been the strongest. Watching the World Series growing up in the 80s and before, the teams pitching ace always lined up for games 1, 4 & 7. Having been a player during that time and realizing that his second-best pitcher doesnt nearly have as good of a chance at beating KC, I really wonder whats going through the minds of the Bochy and Giants brain trust. For all he has done for the Giants and The City I love Bochy, but Yost over the last two games has set up the chess board consistently in the Royals favor, and pulled all the correct strings with his lineup and bullpen where Bochy has not. To change nothing and expect different results may be the most daring managerial move Bochy has made yet.
Posted on: Sat, 25 Oct 2014 06:00:21 +0000
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