Official Game Thread - 4/4 - Buc @ BoSox

[Bobster21]

002A21112630303C530 wrote: Roansy could have made it through but Cruz throws the ground ball away for an error and it is time to sit Roansy down for the night.
This is why they can't develop pitching prospects. Contreras was pitching great but his manager (probably on phone with GM) was looking for any excuse to pull him. (Even Brown and Wehner said as much.) A routine 2-out grounder to SS at 78 pitches is not a sign that the pitcher is fading. All this good outing by Contrera proved is that his team has no faith in him. And we wonder why their top pitching prospects never reach their potential until they go to another team.


It seems that management is against Roansy's learning by failure. 


It's not even letting him learn by failing. It's not letting him succeed. During the 6th, Brown and Wehner noted that Contreras would likely be pulled "at the first sign of trouble." They seemed to be saying what most of us had already thought. Shelton/BC do not trust their starters even during good outings. But inducing a 2-out routine ground ball to SS is hardly a sign of trouble. Contreras succeeded but Cruz failed. So Contreras was pulled at 5.2 innings and 78 pitches. An effective starter was pulled, requiring the BP to cover the remaining 3.1 innings. And if they pull the pitcher every time Cruz throws away a routine grounder, they're gonna need a lot more guys in the bullpen.



It all worked out in the end, so as Osushawn said, maybe Shelton pulled the right strings. But did those strings need to be pulled? Forcing the BP to cover 3.1 innings used 4 relievers, 3 of whom have now pitched 2 days in a row. Will they be unavailable today? And what did this say to Contreras? It looked like he had the stuff, the dominance, and the low pitch count to go at least 7 innings. Instead, he knows he couldn't make it thru the 6th because his manager felt someone else was needed to get the 3rd out. All because Cruz failed to make a routine throw. I don't think this regime will ever develop a dominating starting pitcher. 
Bobster, I think that the quick hook is OK at this point in the season. By next month the starters should be better stretched out, so I'll set that as my deadline. Frankly I was more upset at Keller throwing 100 pitches.


I could better understand the quick hook if they had just let him finish the inning. They could have told him he did a great job but it's early in the season and 6 innings is all they want at this point. But pulling him at that point of the game looked like a lack of faith that he could get the 3rd out.