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Balestar would have been the better option. 2011 Burnett isn't 2010 Burnett. You can't use him like you did last year.
I don't know which is worse, Johnson using Stairs because he's being forced to or because he thinks he's good. Either way, it makes me more pessimistic about Johnson's tenure here.
And you can lose a game in the 5th just as easily as you can in the 9th. If you go to the bullpen early because your starter is performing badly and you lose the game late then you lose the game late as opposed to losing the game early. You stop the bleeding when the bleeding is happening. You don't get bonus points for having extra relievers for the 10th or 11th inning because if you lose the game early the 10th and 11th innings never happen.
That fact that Rodriguez didn't give up runs doesn't make the use of him in that situation a good one. Making the right decisions doesn't always end in a good result but sometimes making the wrong decision does. He was used for 2.1 innings which means he had to come out to the mound three separate times. That's more than he's ever been used and it's a lot for the kind of pitcher he is.
Queston, do you agree with Johnson's decision making tonight?