[Stu]

Quote: Originally Posted by heavyXBLLN

Well, first off, you'd have to have gotten him started started in the 6th, and if he did that everyone else would THEN be complaining how dumb Tito is.

Between the hit by Damon, walk and mound visit, they could have gotten him warmed up.

Quote: Originally Posted by heavyXBLLN

Second, the month is NOT irrelevant. If you are going to use up your pitching staff like it's the 7th game of the ALCS EVERY GAME, then you are probably going to run out of gas before the All Star break.

I'm not saying they should do that every game, just situations where it makes sense. This wasn't an off day for Papelbon so why not use him to keep your team in the game and then rest him in a situation where he isn't needed as much. (2 or 3 run lead)

Quote: Originally Posted by heavyXBLLN

Third, Papelbon is coming in 20-for-20. He's your closer, but he is still pretty much a rookie. Last thing you want to do is put him into a tie game this early with the bases loaded and risk rattling him in an unnecessary situation. The great unknown in this ballclub, the one that scares me the most, is: how will Papelbon react after the first time he blows a save? I don't want to put him into a situation where he is set up for failure unless the season really depends on it. And frankly, last night, it didn't.

If he was the type of guy to get rattled by letting in a run, he wouldn't be 20 for 20. He's put in a situation where he's set up for failure every time he comes in a game and he's excelled at it.

Quote: Originally Posted by heavyXBLLN

Fourth, I AM worried about using him up. It's the second game of the series. You bring him into a tie game in the 7th, with Farnsworth and Rivera still out there, chances are the BEST Papelbon could do is keep it tied. Then what? How many innings? Who comes in after him? What do you do tomorrow and Thursday when Papelbon might have to sit after pitching way past his count? This was a Foulke/Timlin situation NOT Papelbon...

Like I said earlier, you can rest him in situations where he isn't needed as much, like 3 run saves. I wasn't suggesting that we use him for more than 1 out in the 7th and 3 outs in the 8th, which isn't any more than his normal work, and no more than he would have gotten had we taken a lead. You have to figure he was available for 3 games of this series.

I agree that it was a Foulke/Timlin situation but neither of them were available. Instead we should concede the game because you only want to use your best reliever in save situations?