Where does starting Leake in Game 4 rank on the stupidity chart?

[Blitz Dorsey]

* He was completely left off the NLDS roster -- it's evident how the team felt abot him.

* Latos only pitched four innings on Saturday. He EASILY could have pitched on 3 days rest. It's not like he had a 100+ pitch outing last time out. This would not have been the typical "3 days rest."

* Very often in playoffs, teams go with a 3-man rotation anyway.

* Playing to set yourself up well for Game 5 or setting yourself up for the NLCS is a great way to lose Game 4. You need to go for the kill when you can.

Latos was the obvious call. Ridiculous that Leake was given the start. Way to overthink this one!

[reds44]

It wasn't stupid at all. It was still the right move. You don't treat Game 4 like a must win when it wasn't. Now you have Latos at 100% tomorrow.

[Blitz Dorsey]

See, that's where I disagree. I absolutely would have approached Game 4 as a must-win, especially with Matt Cain waiting for us in Game 5 and all the momentum on the Giants' side.

[Plus Plus]

Originally Posted by Blitz Dorsey

* He was completely left off the NLDS roster -- it's evident how the team felt abot him.

* Latos only pitched four innings on Saturday. He EASILY could have pitched on 3 days rest. It's not like he had a 100+ pitch outing last time out. This would not have been the typical "3 days rest."

* Very often in playoffs, teams go with a 3-man rotation anyway.

* Playing to set yourself up well for Game 5 or setting yourself up for the NLCS is a great way to lose Game 4. You need to go for the kill when you can.

Latos was the obvious call. Ridiculous that Leake was given the start. Way to overthink this one!

If Latos ended his night on the same pitching line as Leake, the alternative game 5 situation would be 3-days rest Arroyo or "staff day."

Leake was the right option, like it or not.

[Blitz Dorsey]

Originally Posted by Plus Plus

If Latos ended his night on the same pitching line as Leake, the alternative would be 3-days rest Arroyo or "staff day."

Leake was the right option, like it or not.

What's wrong with Arroyo on three days rest?

1. He has a rubber arm.

2. Most teams go with a 3-man rotation anyway in the postseason.

[Plus Plus]

Originally Posted by Blitz Dorsey

What's wrong with Arroyo on three days rest?

1. He has a rubber arm.

2. Most teams go with a 3-man rotation anyway in the postseason.

You don't see a mismatch between short rest Arroyo and Cain as opposed to full rest Latos and Cain?

I see one as being a clear Reds disadvantage and one as being a marginal Reds advantage (as the Reds have handled Cain relatively well this year).

[reds44]

Originally Posted by Blitz Dorsey

What's wrong with Arroyo on three days rest?

1. He has a rubber arm.

2. Most teams go with a 3-man rotation anyway in the postseason.

Which team in the postseason is using a 3 man rotation right now?

The correct answer: none.

[Blitz Dorsey]

Originally Posted by Plus Plus

You don't see a mismatch between short rest Arroyo and Cain as opposed to full rest Latos and Cain?

I see one as being a clear Reds disadvantage and one as being a marginal Reds advantage (as the Reds have handled Cain relatively well this year).

The point is, the Reds should have gone all-out to win Game 4 IMO. It's like they wanted to hold something back "just in case." Not a good strategy in the playoffs.

[Blitz Dorsey]

Originally Posted by reds44

Which team in the postseason is using a 3 man rotation right now?

The correct answer: none.

The Yankees.

[George Anderson]

[Plus Plus]

Originally Posted by Blitz Dorsey

The point is, the Reds should have gone all-out to win Game 4 IMO. It's like they wanted to hold something back "just in case." Not a good strategy in the playoffs.

I totally see and appreciate what you are saying, but playing game 4 like it is game 5 when it isn't game 5 is a recipe for disaster if real game 5 happens.

I'd rather have full guns (Marshall, Broxton, Chapman, and to a lesser extent Hanigan and Rolen all off for a game, Latos on full rest) than what would be in the wings if they had gone all-out in today's game.

Again, if they had lost (which they would have had like a 42% chance of doing regardless) today with Latos going, the alternative is a really poor one. Now, even though the game yesterday was lost, they are still only one win away from the NLCS and have every gun cocked and loaded, including Mat "The Giant Killer" Latos.

[Plus Plus]

Originally Posted by Blitz Dorsey

The Yankees.

They are in game 3 right now. Phil Hughes is starting tomorrow.

[reds44]

Originally Posted by Plus Plus

They are in game 3 right now. Phil Hughes is starting tomorrow.

That's a 4 man rotation for you scoring at home.

[Edskin]

It was the right move.... I agree with saving Latos for game 5 at full strength especially considering he was sick. It was also reasonable to expect Leake to maybe give us 5 innings and keep them to 4 or fewer. Also reasonable to expect our offense to do the same against Zito.

Leake was awful today unfortunately. I was hoping he'd be "eh" like he was most of the year. But if the offense keeps pace it might have been a different outcome.

[Blitz Dorsey]

Originally Posted by reds44

That's a 4 man rotation for you scoring at home.

I take that back. I thought Girardi had said prior to the playoffs he was going with a 3-man rotation of Sabathia, Pettitte and Kuroda.

Whatever. I know most good playoffs teams have tradionally used a 3-man rotation. It doesn't change my point; especially when Latos only pitched 4 innings on Saturday in Game One. Can we all agree that wouldn't have been the typical "three days rest"?