LaRussa's classy bonehead moves

[gregmag]

I was at the Cardinals / Blue Jays game last night, and I thought people might find this interesting. LaRussa basically gave away the game, and a tie for first place in the division, with three big mistakes:

 

(1) He had Westbrook batting eighth. We all know about this quirk, but in this particular game it had the most predictable consequence you could imagine. In the second inning -- an inning where ineup construction still yields some meaningful probabilities -- Westbrook came up with a runner on second and two out, and he looked at strike three. Having a hitter up there might have been useful. (In fairness, Descalso walked and scored leading off the third.)

 

(2) This is the doozie: With a runner on second and one out in the fifth, he had Westbrook intentionally walk Bautista -- to get to Adam Lind. So you put a runner on base with one out to bring up the cleanup hitter and lose the platoon advantage. Lind singled, the next two guys after him singled, Bautista scored the Jays' fourth run, and that was it for Westbrook.

 

(3) Bottom of the seventh, 4-4 game. With one out and nobody on, the pitcher's slot comes up. That would be Lance Lynn, who had pitched two perfect innings. Rather than bring out a professional hitter, LaRussa let the rookie reliever bat. He grounded out, and the Cards ended up going down 1-2-3; they never scored again. Lynn pitched a scoreless eighth, although he allowed two runners to reach base. How little confidence does LaRussa have in his bullpen?

 

In light of our frustration with our inexperienced manager, and given our general collective loathing for LaRussa, I thought this was fun stuff.

[logan82]

1) Not a big deal. Throughout the season a pitcher will come up to hit at some point when an actual hitter would help no matter where the pitcher hits in the order.

 

2) Yeah that's dumb.

 

3) If the guy is pitching well, leave him in. This wouldn't bother me either way with the right pitcher.

[Funketown]

I don't think either 1 or 3 is bad. I wouldn't complain if Roenicke did either of those things.

 

The intentional walk was stupid, but not as bad as it seems on the surface because in Bautista's case, there is really a reverse platoon effect if anything (2010: 175 wRC+ vs. RHP, 124 wRC+ vs. LHP; only ~125 PA's vs. lefties, but I don't think he hits lefties any better than righties, possibly worse). It was stupid because Lind has killed righties this year (170 wRC+) and hit them well last year as well (122 wRC+). I would have been annoyed with Roenicke for this one, but it's not quite laughably stupid.

[Raw Biz]

Yeah I actually don't think any of those are really that bad. I understand not wanting to put another runner on base for the cleanup hitter but he was probably trying to set up a double play. Plus, Bautista is a pretty good hitter himself. I'd say this would be similar to us IBB Pujols to set up a DP with Berkman. I'm not a LaRussa fan but I really can't fault him for any of those things. It's not like he's using a guy with a .590 OPS to pinch-hit as the tying run when there's a .750 OPS guy available. To me, that is boneheaded.

[PrinceEatMeat]

Yeah, none of those are that bad at all. Wouldn't say that he cost them the game at all. The players lost that game.

[monty57]

It's not like he's using a guy with a .590 OPS to pinch-hit as the tying run when there's a .750 OPS guy available.

 

But Roenicke can't pinch hit with Green, Boggs, Gamel, etc unless they're promoted. Therefore, he has to use the .590 OPS guys he's been handed. Oh wait, wrong topic.

[Oldcity]

I do think the IBB is stupid. The others are defensible.

[TheCrew]

Bautista hit the go ahead HR in that game in the 9th....... he's also a much more dangerous hitter than Lind, can't fault him for the IBB at all.