Why didn't Papelbon pitch?
News blogs, sports blogs, entertainment blogs, and more from Philly.com, The Philadelphia Inquirer and the Philadelphia Daily News.
Why didn't Papelbon pitch?
Matt Gelb, Inquirer Staff Writer
In the wake of two walk-off defeats at the hands of Pittsburgh, more than a few people have wondered how the Phillies could lose without using their best reliever. Jonathan Papelbon is being paid more than any closer in baseball history and he never left the bullpen.
The short answer: Charlie Manuel, and just about every single manager in baseball, plays those decisions by the book. If the road team is tied or losing, the closer stays in the bullpen until he has a lead to save. That's the philosophy the Phillies followed.
Still, there was a spot for Papelbon to protect a lead Sunday. With two outs and runners on first and second, the Pirates used righthanded hitting Matt Hague as a pinch-hitter against lefty Antonio Bastardo. The Phillies still led, 4-3.
Pitching coach Rich Dubee said there was no inclination to use Papelbon for a four-out save.
"No. It's too early," Dubee said. "You want to run them out there every 162 games?"
Papelbon is 31 for 39 in saves of more than three outs for his career. But he had only one last season. There's been a downward trend in his usage during those situations.
SAVES OF FOUR OUTS OR MORE
2011: 1-2
2010: 2-4
2009: 6-6
2008: 11-11
2007: 3-3
2006: 8-13
Dubee said he's rarely seen an instance where a manager used his closer on the road in a tie game. But he thought about doing it in Saturday's 10th inning until he realized there was one downside. Papelbon had already warmed up twice.
"It was like [Brad] Lidge in the All-Star Game, am I going to crank him seven times and pitch him?" Dubee said. "I was thinking maybe one more inning and I might talk Charlie into using him. It's hard. We have nobody else to close the game. Now if we had somebody else to close, like [Jose] Contreras behind, we might think about doing it.
"You can make any argument you want."
Have a question? Send it to Matt Gelb's Mailbag.
because Phils manager is clueless bozo so he puts in most useless pitcher in majors -- no past, no present, no future Herndon— warbiscuit- Charlie's being exposed. My prediction is that the Phils will be in 3rd around the all-star break and Manuel will let Charlie go, in order to bring up Sandberg. Charlie will not get the benefit of the doubt when so much is riding on this season.— beegal99
- Makes no difference what Charlie did, you would then blame him for that too. He makes the moves, the players need to play and get the job done. Maybe I'm no Xbox GM of the year like you, but I've been a fan for nearly 50 years and I didn't see anything done that merits this reaction. No you can't use a closer for 162 games, then you have our closer on the DL with a busted arm. Yeah I'm a Charlie fan because he's the manager of the best Phillies team we ever had and he deserves credit, credit for a great team that he has earned. — TexasYankee
- It's probably not good business to throw away games while they are still meaningful but that's just me.— jtj06
- Contreras looked ready Saturday night in Dunedin. His fastball was at 91 on the scoreboard. He retired the side in order striking out two. They were swinging over his splitter.— Dull
- The Phillies management is starting to sound like the Eagles brass with the delusional speak— shawnmac
- Relax everyone. It is only 3 games into the season and panic has set in. They have 21 games in April including a 10 game west coast trip. If they can get 11 or 12 wins this month, that will be just what they need. The calvary will arrive around the all-star break.— Clt Philly Fan
Comment removed.- Not sure what cavalry you are talking about - Howard, who is coming off an Achilles tear,for a guy that relies on his legs to produce power, or Utley, who hasnt been Utley for 3 years and cant bend over to pick up a grounder.— Bobphxville
- Looking up at the Mets is no fun, but it could last a long time. This team is really not very good and the management is really bad. Charlie has risen FAR beyond his abilities.
— Phil Lee - Wow, expected to read the comments and see at least 50% agree with this strategy. Hard to understand how you lose 1 run games in the bullpen and fail to use your best reliever in either one. Just doesn't make sense - forget roles, play your best players. If you look at it objectively, protecting a tied game in the 9th or later on the road is EVEN MORE important than protecting a lead, because if you let them score, you lose. And that's what happened.— Phils Phan 28
- It certainly was bad management, but we do have a notoriously terrible record playing in Pittsburgh for some reason.— Mo Biggsley
- he didn't pitch because he's the closer... dumb question.— Ump Al
- At this rate, the Phillies will finish 54-108. The gave a valiant effort this season. Let's start looking at 2013 now.
MG, can you start analyzing the free agent mkt in your next articles? Thank you!— Clt Philly Fan - It is still early. Don't have an aneurysm yet. You will miss the season if it turns out we have a good year.— johnny eagle
- Dubee is a dope. Too early?— jimmymack
- It all started when wiggs droped the ball at first base, then it was all down hill from there. Thome is the next big piece strike out king. Wiggs and nix both suck at batting, whos goin to play first base that can actually hit? Pence is the only star showing his true colors, the rest need some improvement. I know its early in the season, but something gotta give soon.— huntnmike3666
- The silly old fool is a self-proclaimed "hitting guru." He'll figger things out, dag nabbit. Just ask Chris "Wheels" Wheeler.— Wilhelm Von Humboldt
- sorry, wiggs dropped the ball at first....i was just frustrated when i wrote this.....lol— huntnmike3666
- Matt your right! About time somebody noticed that Charley is just a bit incompetent when it comes to sound field tactics:-) Herndon is a proven disaster and should have been CUT this spring where conversely and inexplicably, superior pitchers were cut while keeping the inept Herndon. Cholly must be charmed or enamored by Herndon but why? Is it his smell, do they date?— daystrum
- concerned about stutes...last 2 months of 2011 he was hit hard and his e.r.a. ballooned proportionately...during spring training this year he was hit hard and pitched poorly...time to send him down to recapture the effectiveness he lost last august...also,ty wigginton is a stiff..he shows me nothing...— jabac
- where are all the morons telling me all off-season how Amaro 'improved' the bench and bullpen? ... other than the closer, there's not a single legitimate major leaguer there— warbiscuit
- nix, wiggington, thome, schneider, herndon, galvis, etc wouldn't make any other major league roster..only cluless rube thinks he can put completelty useless certifiable trash on roster after spending all his budget on startgin pitching and injured former major leaguers— warbiscuit
- Comment removed.
- Wow, game 4 and according to some of these sports analysts, the sky is falling. Relax.— aNutter1inDgutter
- doesn't a loss in april count the same as a loss in september?— ox
- The only silver lining today is that Cole maybe cheaper to sign. 1-4 is brutal. Due to injuries, of course, too many square pegs on this team.— Steve Jeltz
- Sorry. I meant 1-3. Subconscious mind at work. — Steve Jeltz
- The bigger question is why they didn't drop Herndon and his ukelele off at Allentown on the way back to Philly, preferably without landing.— dasher
- The question has been answered- so he could pitch today!— jtj06
- Comment removed.
