Fire Blake Butera!

[JCA-CrystalCity]

It would have been nice to have Lord available today

but a few of the pitchers they ended up using would not have been available were they used yesterday

[Slateman]

but a few of the pitchers they ended up using would not have been available were they used yesterday

Maybe. I could have lived without Beeter or Schultz today.

Lord is simply too good of a pitcher to be using as a long reliever at this point. Its not just today, its also tomorrow and maybe even Saturday too. Look at his splits last year. He was a sub 3 ERA as a reliever last year. This guy is one of, if not then best relievers on the team. Hes being used in long relief and he has almost double the innings of any other reliever. They're going to burn him out before June and then we'll lose him for the next year and a half recovering from TJS.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

Whitlock started as a multi-inning guy. I don't want him mopping up, but 3 innings in a 2 run game isn't a waste.

I don't expect him to do this very often going forward if Parker or Mikolas or Lovelady can do the job.

[Slateman]

You just cant pull your starting pitcher at 74 pitches. Not when both your long relievers are unavailable

[JCA-CrystalCity]

You just cant pull your starting pitcher at 74 pitches. Not when both your long relievers are unavailable

but Parker was and he went 3. He jsut wasn't managing for a 12 inning game.

[rbw5t]

Should've left Ribalta in for a second inning.  that would have lengthened everything a bit.  And maybe hit Ruiz for Millas (or Nunez).  Lots of little things today that could be second guessed.  But, he's young and I'm sure has some learning to do on the job.  4 errors don't help of course.

[Slateman]

but Parker was and he went 3. He jsut wasn't managing for a 12 inning game.

Still should have left Irvin in. We're in the middle of 16 straight games. We need to start letting our starters get us some innings.

Should've left Ribalta in for a second inning.  that would have lengthened everything a bit.  And maybe hit Ruiz for Millas (or Nunez).  Lots of little things today that could be second guessed.  But, he's young and I'm sure has some learning to do on the job.  4 errors don't help of course.

Second time he's yanked Ribalta on short work load. For some reason, the team's management doesn't think he can throw multiple innings.

[aspenbubba]

I think Butera is relying on analytics too often and sometimes you just need to go with the hot hand. I believe as he matures he will go with his gut more.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

I think Butera is relying on analytics too often and sometimes you just need to go with the hot hand. I believe as he matures he will go with his gut more.

the analytics move from yesterday was pulling Irvin once he got by the 9th hitter the second time. It's not like Irvin was doing well, and the Mets had due up Benge, Bichette, and Soto. You could have sent Irvin out for 15-25 more pitches trying to save the bullpen an inning, but does anyone really think he wasn't going to be lit up? At the time, I wondered why they went to Poulin rather than Parker straight away for 3-4 innings but I  guess he figured Poulin would take care of the tough stretch in the order letting Parker come in dealing with that stretch just once.

[welch]

I think Butera is relying on analytics too often and sometimes you just need to go with the hot hand. I believe as he matures he will go with his gut more.

Poulin should get a rest. No idea why Butera went to Poulin after Irvin. Sometimes the lefty pitcher / hitter don't work, and especially if the opposing manager has done a lefty-righty lineup.

I don't know why Butera went with Schultz again. Brad Lord had only pitched an inning on Sunday, and Alvarez was available.

[Slateman]

I think Butera is relying on analytics too often and sometimes you just need to go with the hot hand. I believe as he matures he will go with his gut more.

That is literally what Butera was brought here to do.

[imref]

I don't know why Butera went with Schultz again. Brad Lord had only pitched an inning on Sunday, and Alvarez was available.

Zuck:

Technically, the Nats still had four relievers available by the time the 12th inning arrived. But three of them were unavailable: Andrew Alvarez (who threw 48 pitches Friday and is being kept on a starter’s schedule), Richard Lovelady (who threw 27 pitches as Sunday’s opener) and Brad Lord (who threw 27 pitches in one inning Sunday).

That left only Paxton Schultz, who threw 17 pitches Saturday and 19 pitches Sunday and ideally would’ve had tonight off. But the right-hander knew he was the team’s last resort, so he made himself available and wound up becoming the first member of the staff to pitch three straight days this season.

[welch]

Why does analytics tell Butera to pitch to Juan Soto?

[imref]

Gotta be front runner for MOTY right now, right?

[aspenbubba]

Mead is sitting tonite versus a RHP. His splits in an equal number of AB's this season are:

LH = .238 BA .730 OPS 2 HR's

RH = .250 BA .979 OPS 6 HR's

Carrying the matchups to an extreme.

[Smithian]

Mead is sitting tonite versus a RHP. His splits in an equal number of AB's this season are:

LH = .238 BA .730 OPS 2 HR's

RH = .250 BA .979 OPS 6 HR's

Carrying the matchups to an extreme.

Butera is definitely married to matchups, but I guess they do say you have to marry the analytics, can’t just date them.

[tomterp]

Mead is sitting tonite versus a RHP. His splits in an equal number of AB's this season are:

LH = .238 BA .730 OPS 2 HR's

RH = .250 BA .979 OPS 6 HR's

Carrying the matchups to an extreme.

Well, there is a mitigating strategy at play here.  You have Mead available to pinch hit in a high leverage situation, like bases loaded, no outs, score tied.  Which is what happened, and Mead drew the walk, driving in a run.  Genius managing!   

[JCA-CrystalCity]

Mead gets about half the starts vs RHP for now, slightly more if Vivas plays 2nd. He's just not every day until they give up on Vivas.

[tomterp]

I like how Butera uses the whole roster to the extent reasonable.  How can a player improve his performance if he sits on the bench night after night?  Not everyone is going to be successful, but in Butera's world they are going to get a reasonable chance to succeed, all the coaching that is practical and in the end they'll know why they were cut loose, if it comes to that.  Or in the case of Mead, Ruiz etc, they will rise up to become productive players for the good of them and the whole team.

[SkinsNatFan21RIP]

This dude has got to get better with the BP. He is so lost when it comes to managing pitchers. Knowing when a guy is toast or pulling somebody too early. He is just all over the place.

[Slateman]

I don't know what move he could have made. It was a 9-1 game and his pitchers choked it away. This is on Toboni for putting together a dogcrap pen

[Lintyfresh85]

Gotta be some better arms on the farm somewhere

[JCA-CrystalCity]

It's the old trying to make chicken salad out of chicken poo. Schultz, Parker, and maybe some others are the chicken poo. You can match up Parker with lefties, but if can't get you outs against lefties, what good is it? Schultz can't protect an 8 run lead? You can't burn out Lovelady, Ribalta can only pitch so much. Butera has done about as much with this junk as anyone could

[Slateman]

Someone has to lose their job over this. Parker is clearly broken. You can have one maybe two fodder guys in a pen, but having 3 or more forces you to use one every day

[JCA-CrystalCity]

When can Poulin come back?