WOW! I think Thomson should get the benefit of the doubt. We dont know the alternatives, but his decisions are mostly working.
Serathony is definitely unavailable tomorrow and I'd be inclined to to give Alvarado the night off and hope to have him in game 5 and maybe game 6, but who knows.
LETS GO!
I don't think he would have pitched tomorrow anyway. Alvarado, either if he doesn't have to. Ideally it's an 8-4 game regardless of who wins. It pays off in Game 5 if they win the series with those two guys fresh, or it pays off in Games 6-7 because they are available to pitch three days in a row at that point.
I mean, I don't want to jinx it, but that's the 2008 formula isn't it? And then a tight one in Game 5. There might even be rain.
I thought the check swing was a good call. It is where the bat was and not his wrists. Close but the bat did cover the plate. If that was an attempted bunt it would have been an obvious strike.
I really hope Alvarado and Dominguez do not pitch tomorrow and are then available for game 5. Maybe Thor, Falter, and Gibson can each pitch 2 or 3 innings. Of course, a big offensive output would help.
It certainly was a check swing that has been called a strike often in the past. Yes, it is also often called not a swing. It was right at the edge and as Frank Thomas said on the post game show, it was not an obvious bad call. I have seen it called both ways many times this season. Of course, most times not in such a critical game.
Thomson says Alvarado and Eflin are probably fine tomorrow, Seranthony unlikely.
He just wanted a righty against Machado, as far as pulling Suarez. Not just the third time thing.
Also Falter official as starter and he hopes to get just one time through from him. Syndegaard not necessarily the tandem guy, but definitely in the mix. Perfect world Falter looks good enough to face Soto and Croneworth a second time I imagine.