A look at the strategy for Game 5 2.0
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A look at the strategy for Game 5 2.0
David Murphy, Daily News Staff Writer
Remember when you'd be all wrapped up into an episode of Perfect Strangers, and Larry and Balki would spend the entire half hour involved in their usual hijinks, and then you'd look at the clock and realize it was almost 8:30 and the episode was nowhere near a conclusion, and than around 8:25 the three most dreaded words in prime time television appeared?
To be continued. . .
Here we sit, waiting for the Next Episode.
At eight oclock tonight the forecast calls for a temperature of 39 degrees with a 14 mile an hour wind that will make it feel more like 30 degrees. By 10 oclock, if the game is still going, the temperature is expected to get down to 37 degrees.
The good news? No rain. Or snow.
But put your plants inside before you go.
In today's paper, I tried to figure out what will happen on the field tonight, given the rare nature of some of the managerial decisions that wait Charlie Manuel and Joe Maddon. Here is a quick synopsis:
1) Is this now a battle of the bull-pens?
Yes. Both managers have said they will rely on their bullpens rather than calling a starter into action. The Phillies bullpen has been great thus far in the playoffs. In 37 1/3 innings, they have allowed just seven earned runs. All six releivers who have pitched at least three innings have an ERA of 3.00 or less, including closer Brad Lidge (six saves) and set-up man Ryan Madson (two earned runs in 12 innings). The Rays bullpen has allowed 19 earned runs in 46.0 innings and have been charged with two of their seven losses. The Phillies bullpen has yet to be tagged with a loss.
2) Who will pitch for the Rays?
Righthander Grant Balfour, who pitched the fifth in relief of Scott Kazmir, will be on the mound to start the inning, which means Manuel would likely send a left-handed bat to the plate to hit for Hamels, who leads off the inning. Manuel has his pick of Greg Dobbs, Matt Stairs and Geoff Jenkins. But Maddon could then counter with a left-handed reliever, forcing Manuel to either waste a pinch-hitter or hit a lefty against a lefty.
Rays top prospect David Price, a lefthander who has allowed one earned run in 4 2/3 innings this postseason, is a natural starter who can pitch two or more innings. It wouldn't be suprising to see Maddon call on him at some point.
3) What about the Phillies?
They have plenty of options. Rays catcher Dioner Navarro, who is scheduled to lead off the seventh, is a switch-hitter who has much better numbers batting left-handed than right-handed. So it would make sense to use either Scott Eyre against him. With the potential of dangerous lefties Carl Crawford and Carlos Pena coming to bat with men on base later in the inning or during the eighth, he might choose to save J.C. Romero for that type of situation. After Navarro, Manuel could leave Eyre in to face the bottom of the order or call on Madson against righties Jason Bartlett and Rocco Baldelli. A lot depends, of course, on how many - if any - runs the Phillies score. Manuel has said he will not hesitate to use Lidge for more than four outs.
how nerveracking... and chilly! go phillies!— diiianaaa- I will lead off Jenkins, and replace him with Coste when Maddon brings a lefty (Price) and bring Eyre to pitch to Navarro, and have Madson and Romero warming up. Yes, some will say pinch hitting Coste migth be a bad idea because he is our only other catcher but I'll take my chances. Coste is the best right handed power hitting option we have. My thinking here is to jump right away at the Rays to take away the momentum with a long ball. And what can possibly go wrong with Ruiz in 3 innings? Well, is easier said than done.— EL Zorro
Comment removed.- I don't think the long ball is going to win it tonight with these winds. I think they have to produce their runs to win it tonight.— puckhead
- Send Up So Taguchi to pinch-hit. Force Madden to re-think his grand scheme, which was to immediately take 'Ball4' out, and force Manuel to waste a Lefty-Hitter.— Utopia
- Let's just get a couple of runs across in the sixth and make all this brain-cramping strategizing unnecessary.— Jeffrey
- Comment removed.
- It depends to where the win will be blowing. If is blowing from left field to right field, you can kiss a Coste homer goodbye, because he is more of a pull hitter. But I hate to see Taguchi coming out of the dugout to start the 7 for us. Imagine the crowd's reaction. Well, we still have Bruntlett, yikes. We'll be all right. We still got the top of the order for two at-bats.— EL Zorro
- can't spell 'relievers?'— jeffreyg61
- Folks...check the weather...snow/rain showers lining up heading West to East...most are drying up as they get past the mountains...but as the day progresses, more and more will slip past! May make things even trickier... Also...Matt Stairs, pinch hitting for Hamels...launches a BOMB!! "Stair(s) way to October?"— chattal
- The 3 minute commercials are bad enough...but this 45 hour break is absolutely tormenting...It'll all be worth it tonight when Utley hits a two run double to score Rollins and Werth in the 6th inning and the bullpen holds em, with Lidge closin' it out....ahhhh— TempleKev
- This is going to sound crazy, but why not send Hamels up to hit for himself since he is your best hitting pitcher, and still change pitchers in the 7th? I just get the feeling Manuel will go with a left-handed hitter and he'll end up making two moves instead of one. This has a potential to be a 20-inning game, and you might need all the pinch-hitters tonight.
- Since we can assume (righty) Ball-4 starts the 6th, let's send up a right handed bat. They want us to send a lefty bat so they can bring in Price, which would force us to waste the lefty pinch-hitter and bring in the righty pinch hitter. Let's force Maddon to decide whether to let Ball-4 pitch to a righty or bring in Price anyway. We call their bluff and save a bat off the bench.— rwright611
- Use either Scott Eyre on him? How many Scott Eyres are on this team?— rockinrob
- Agreed, than we should put Taguchi in to bunt for a single and not waste a power hitter. This is assuming Taguchi spends from now till game time practicing putting down a perfect bunt. Than we could have a leadoff runner on who is quick (who knows, there could be an overthrow to first as well). We'd than have the top of the order coming up.— TempleKev
- The wind will blow from left to right field. You can forget Coste tonight.— Mike H.
- I like Hamels in the batters circle when play resumes just to be sure of who is pitching. Your pinch hitter is Jenkins without a doubt and if they counter it's Taguchi. There is no reason to waste Coste, Stairs, Bruntlett or Dobbs that soon. The biggest mistake we could make in this game is being in a position where we have to use Lidge before his time and Maddon will try to get the game to that point. If it is tied and we go extra innings with Lidge out of the game were dead ducks. Charlie has to be very careful about pitching changes early on and give the offense a chance to post runs. These guys are very focused and can smell the title I would be shocked it this isn't over tonight.— Wally 24
- Comment removed.
