21 Philadelphia Phillies (Wheeler) @ Washington Nationals (Corbin)

kmc1019 2021-08-04 01:59:09 UTC #101

Mets lose, Phillies only 1.5 games back.

zambonir 2021-08-04 02:01:32 UTC #102

I will take back my criticism of Girardi to the extent that it was pretty brave of him to do that. I assume it wasn't drawn up that way (that he was hoping Wheeler could finish the 8th, and didn't think Hector could get five outs).

Lucky_Beagle 2021-08-04 02:30:05 UTC #103

The team trades for a closer then uses him 2 games in a row when it wasn't a save situation to have him unable to pitch when a save situation does arrive. Of course the way he has pitched it might have been a good thing!

zambonir 2021-08-04 03:13:46 UTC #104

That's why bullpens are hard! There was nothing wrong with letting him "get in some work" the other night, he probably wanted it, the coaches probably wanted to see him, and the score meant it was like a spring training game. But he wasn't supposed to throw that many pitches. And then you go and use Neris and Alvarado - rather than the lower-leverage guys - to back up Ranger.

They still came very close to a non-save situation tonight!

DurhamBull 2021-08-04 03:46:02 UTC #105

It's interesting watching the HR swings of Jean Segura and Ronald Torreyes. BBRef has Segura at 5'10", 220lb (!) and Torreyes at 5'8", 155lb. Despite being a bit taller, Segura often ends up with his back knee almost touching the dirt, and his legs look huge. Torreyes' swing is much more upright. Can't argue with results from either one of them tonight.

Philsmania 2021-08-04 12:52:28 UTC #106

This is pretty much "the usual" from Neris. He pitches well, hits a a crisis of confidence stretch where he becomes a guaranteed meltdown every game he pitches in, but then snaps out of it and becomes very effective again. This time, however, he didn't return to the closer role and is rather now a "high leverage situation specialist".