Fire Dusty Baker!

[Leroy Veritas]

This game did not matter.

Exactly. Max wasn't just out there for a lot of pitches, he was off all night and couldn't hit the side of a barn in the 7th. His pitching form was off and nearly every pitch was high and outside. That's not stretching someone out who supposedly needs it, it's pushing a guy who clearly doesn't have anything in the tank and stupidly risking injury 3 weeks before the games do matter again.

[Leroy Veritas]

What does that mean...he should wait until his last start and then realize he isn't ready?

He's on pace to do what he always does, and it's never worked for him before. Maybe someone in the dugout could do something more than just take up space and actually contribute by getting him to do something different for once.

[bluestreak]

Exactly. Max wasn't just out there for a lot of pitches, he was off all night and couldn't hit the side of a barn in the 7th. His pitching form was off and nearly every pitch was high and outside. That's not stretching someone out who supposedly needs it, it's pushing a guy who clearly doesn't have anything in the tank and stupidly risking injury 3 weeks before the games do matter again.

Well why haven’t they hired you as “the manager” yet?

[dcpatti]

I am also beginning to feel uneasy about the BP. Doo , Madson and Kintzler all have not looked great in the past week. Maybe not Doo as I can't recall but Madson almost blew Sundays game and Kintzler gave up three hits in a row last nite. Is it from overwork since they were acquired or just a coincidence.

I'm willing to overlook Kintzler's mess last night; there are pretty few relievers who do well coming in with bases loaded and nobody out.  Ironically, that would have been the perfect spot for 2016 Blake Treinen. Oh well.   

I've never been 100% comfortable with Dr. Doolittle's Wild Ride but his recent outings are not really any different than his earlier ones: he will give up a hit or a walk, sometimes two of them, but has a knack of somehow getting the job done.  I never heard any feedback about Madsen's rough outing though, and that is a little worrying because of his health history.  Fingers crossed it was just a random bad game.

[Slateman]

In  Scherzer's 12 career playoff starts:

Through the sixth inning: 2.81 ERA, 0.97 WHIP, .178 BAA

After the sixth inning: 18.00 ERA, 2.75 WHIP, .429 BAA

I imagine he knows this stat better than anyone. And wants to prepare himself to go deeper into games so he is more effective in the postseason. I imagine he knows more about how to do this than anyone else. And certainly more than anyone here. It was a relatively meaningless game. If your 2 time CY Young Ace tells you that he wants to stay in and pitch 120 pitches in a game after you've clinched to better prepare himself for the playoffs you do it, every time, without question.

The fact that this is being questioned is beyond absurd.

How is that compared to other pitchers in baseball?

Honestly, if this is what he wants to do, fine, but there's zero reason for him to pitch past the 6th inning in the playoffs.

Scherzer, Madson, Kintzler, Doolittle

[Ray D]

I think he is arguing because he is right. What's asinine is to think that you somehow know what is better for Max Scherzer than Max Scherzer. And so what if he has gone over 100 in 4 of his past five starts? He said he wanted to go 120 because it would help him go deeper into games in the playoffs. I mean it doesn't take a genius to figure this out: If he increases his stamina so that he can pitch 120 pitches it probably will also makes pitches 80-100 more effective too.

It's clear you hate Dusty Baker to the point of hating literally everything he does. It is unclear to me the origin of this hate. Maybe you're Mark Prior or Kerry Wood. Maybe you are secretly Matt Williams. But it's clear to me you are the one arguing just to argue.

You need to realize ...this guy's a troll.

[HalfSmokes]

What does that mean...he should wait until his last start and then realize he isn't ready?

When he's gassed, there is no reason to push hard. Pitchers want to stay in, managers are supposed to be the ones who say no

[NatsAllThe Way]

How is that compared to other pitchers in baseball?

Honestly, if this is what he wants to do, fine, but there's zero reason for him to pitch past the 6th inning in the playoffs.

Scherzer, Madson, Kintzler, Doolittle

Sanity.

[bluestreak]

You need to realize ...this guy's a troll.

I'm beginning to realize that...

[bluestreak]

How is that compared to other pitchers in baseball?

Honestly, if this is what he wants to do, fine, but there's zero reason for him to pitch past the 6th inning in the playoffs.

Scherzer, Madson, Kintzler, Doolittle

My understanding was that he wasn't doing it so he could pitch the seventh in playoffs, it was to build his stamina so that if he got into high pitch counts in the 5th and 6th he could still work through it. I could be wrong though.

[Cinqo de Mayo]

All starters should have a 100 pitch limit, unless working on a no-hitter. Dusty rests his regulars but routinely overworks his starting pitchers.

[varoadking]

All starters should have a 100 pitch limit, unless working on a no-hitter. Dusty rests his regulars but routinely overworks his starting pitchers.

We have been using a 6 man rotation...

[Slateman]

My understanding was that he wasn't doing it so he could pitch the seventh in playoffs, it was to build his stamina so that if he got into high pitch counts in the 5th and 6th he could still work through it. I could be wrong though.

I'm gonna disagree. I think it's because he expects himself to go into the 7th/8th/9th innings. Because that's what you expect of the aces. Because that's the type of thing he saw Verlander do.

If Scherzer comes in and gives you 6 shut out innings, you turn that over to the big three and let them do work. Maybe if we're deep in the NLCS, we can let him roll an extra inning or two to keep the bullpen from being overworked/overexposed.

[Ray D]

Brian Mitchell of all people offered an interesting theory.  (Laugh if you will, he doesn't know anything about baseball and so on ...)
It isn't so much that Scherzer is trying to stretch his limits; he's trying to determine his limit.  He pitched into the seventh in order to determine if, at this stage of the season, he can go seven effectively.  I think he found out maybe he can't. Sure, he can go nine innings occasionally and seven or eight often, but not necessarily this late into the season.  Don't forget, he was nails for six innings in game five and was pulled in the seventh after a homerun.

[Expos]

I am also beginning to feel uneasy about the BP. Doo , Madson and Kintzler all have not looked great in the past week. Maybe not Doo as I can't recall but Madson almost blew Sundays game and Kintzler gave up three hits in a row last nite. Is it from overwork since they were acquired or just a coincidence.

It would mean they're human and not perfect just like every other pitcher in Major League Baseball

[spidernat]

If Scherzer comes in and gives you 6 shut out innings, you turn that over to the big three and let them do work.

And then when one of them blows it you'll be leading the charge about why Scherzer wasn't left in since he was dominating.

[RiotAct]

Part of me thinks, "Dusty knows his pitchers better than we do, we should have some faith in his decisions".   The other part thinks "don't do anything stupid, you numbskull".

[Slateman]

And then when one of them blows it you'll be leading the charge about why Scherzer wasn't left in since he was dominating.

No, I won't.

[spidernat]

No, I won't.

  even you aren't that stupid to think that we believe you when you say this

[tomterp]

Leroy...the man said he needed the work.  I believe him.  Let it go...your hard-on for Rusty is clouding your judgement...

This means the opposite to me that it appears to mean for you.  If I have a hard-on for something I really like or want it.

Anybody else care to weigh in?

[mitlen]

This means the opposite to me that it appears to mean for you.  If I have a hard-on for something I really like or want it.

Anybody else care to weigh in?

I understand both points of view but have mostly heard it used in VaRK's context.

[spidernat]

This means the opposite to me that it appears to mean for you.  If I have a hard-on for something I really like or want it.

Anybody else care to weigh in?

It can go both ways.

[bluestreak]

This means the opposite to me that it appears to mean for you.  If I have a hard-on for something I really like or want it.

Anybody else care to weigh in?

Tom Terp’s interpretatation is what I usually think of.

[mitlen]

Could be a military thing   ....   That's probably where I heard it the first time.     Probably something like, "Stay away from that SOB.  He's got a hard on for enlisted men."   i.e.    He f**** with ya.    Pulls rank, etc.

[GburgNatsFan]

I've heard it this way too.

Could be a military thing   ....   That's probably where I heard it the first time.     Probably something like, "Stay away from that SOB.  He's got a hard on for enlisted men."   i.e.    He f**** with ya.    Pulls rank, etc.