Posted by TMS:
a few comments & observations about last night's game:
1 - if Jorge & Matsui don't hit this series, we're cooked, cuz it's clear the tribe is not going to let ARod beat them they way he did on that walk off in the regular season
2 - Matsui should not be starting right now... his swing looks terrible & he's opening up & hitting those pathetic grounders to 2B once again... put Duncan vs. lefties & Giambi vs. righties
3 - i had no problem w/Jeter not bunting the runners over w/0 outs... he's a career .500 hitter vs. CC & also happens to be our most clutch hitter in the postseason over his career... plus CC was not throwing strikes at that juncture either & struggling w/his control... why give him a free out in that situation only to hand it to a more favorable matchup for CC in facing a lefty hitter in Abreu? that's playing right into the Indian's hands.
4 - if Joe was going to use Hughes anyway, why did he wait til the game was completely out of hand before he did it? why not have him relieve Wang, who's control was obviously not there last night, & then try to stop the bleeding when it was 5-3? instead u bring in Ohlendorff who has even less experience pitching at this level than Hughes & the score becomes 9-3... another brilliant use of our BP by Torre.
ITA. #4 pissed me off the most. It made no sense to bring in Ohlendorf ahead of Hughes. That's what the long man is for, if the starter doesn't have it. #2 was the other thing that really bothered me. I'd like to see Giambi DHing today against Carmona. Matsui is hurting and just isn't right. I had no confidence with Matsui up yesterday. At least Giambi will work the pitcher and has a shot at walking.
If it didn’t work in Phoenix with Nash and Stoutamire... it’s just not a winning formula. It’s an entertaining formula, but not a winning one. - Derek Harper talking about D'Antoni's System