Still in shock Bell went with Antons in the 7th

[Alabama Red]

With the tiebreakers the season was in the line. We had LS, AG, AB and RI all available and they go with Antone. A win drastically improves your playoff chances and a loss makes today a must win and they run out Antone. I’m not trying to knock Tejay but that’s not his role. It’s not little league, everybody doesn’t have to play. I’ve been impartial on Bell because the players just have not executed but last night may have put me on the Fire Bell team.

[RedTeamGo!]

Antone has been lights out all year.

Runs happen.

Last night is squarely on the offense in general, but specifically Senzel for choking not once, but twice.

It’s behind, need to win tonight. Let’s go.

[Phoenix2]

With the tiebreakers the season was in the line. We had LS, AG, AB and RI all available and they go with Antone. A win drastically improves your playoff chances and a loss makes today a must win and they run out Antone. I’m not trying to knock Tejay but that’s not his role. It’s not little league, everybody doesn’t have to play. I’ve been impartial on Bell because the players just have not executed but last night may have put me on the Fire Bell team.

I was surprised too, but where Bell really blew it was not bringing in Garrett once Antone started running into trouble. During that inning a strikeout with runners on second and third with less than 2 out could have saved the game.

[Reds Freak]

I didn't have any issue with the pitching usage last night. Antone breezed through the 6th and I'm sure the plan was Antone for the 7th, Bradley for the 8th, and Iglesias for the 9th. The only real questionable decision I've seen from Bell, really in the last week or two, was PHing with Goodwin instead of Shogo last night with a runner at second.

[CaiGuy]

With the tiebreakers the season was in the line. We had LS, AG, AB and RI all available and they go with Antone. A win drastically improves your playoff chances and a loss makes today a must win and they run out Antone. I’m not trying to knock Tejay but that’s not his role. It’s not little league, everybody doesn’t have to play. I’ve been impartial on Bell because the players just have not executed but last night may have put me on the Fire Bell team.

Antone dominated the 6th. If he took out the "hot hand" and the next guy imploded, you would likely be lamenting Bell for taking out the pticher who "had it" for one who didn't.

No bullpen has a 0.00 ERA. The offense needed to come though against Anderson and give the bulpen more than 1 run.

They get another crack at it tonight. Winnable game, if the players can come through.

[Patrick Bateman]

I was fine with it. Antone has been a big part of the team lately, and underlying numbers are as impressive as anyone we have to be honest.

[zigbeenuthouse]

These are pro athletes and they are prone to success and failure in competition. Antone was beaten this time but has had great success. He’ll learn and adjust fine.

[NebraskaRed]

Blame the offense, not a reliever who gave up 2 runs in 2 innings of work. It happens.

[*BaseClogger*]

IIRC Antone had a strike three call go against him and Vogelbach singled on the next pitch. Totally different inning if that call goes the other way...

[CaiGuy]

Blame the offense, not a reliever who gave up 2 runs in 2 innings of work. It happens.

Or, put another way, the pitching staff as a unit yielded 3 runs in 9 innings. That's a 3.00 ERA or 3 r/game allowed. You'd take that every day of the week. They got it done.

2 runs from the offense isn't getting it done.

[dougdirt]

Even AFTER last night, Tejay Antone, as a reliever this season, has a 2.08 ERA in 17.1 innings, has allowed 6 hits, 6 walks, 24 strikeouts, has a 0.69 WHIP, and batters are hitting .103/.197/.207 against him.

That is EXACTLY the dude you want to be pitching for you in every single imaginable situation.

[Rojo Rijo]

Im not as upset about bring TA in as I was taking SG out but he was already over where they wanted his count to be so.....

[TheBigLebowski]

I question a lot of the stuff he does, but Antone's usage last night wasn't a problem.

[UKWhoDey]

Yeah, I'm a fan of Teej. Not gonna fault Bell for using him the other night in that situation. He's been generally pretty damn capable.

[cobike]

IIRC Antone had a strike three call go against him and Vogelbach singled on the next pitch. Totally different inning if that call goes the other way...

I remember it the same way. Also, they inexplicably started going high in the strike zone after that missed call at the bottom of the zone. Next pitch, looked like a waste pitch up in the zone and a little outside, but too close and Vogelbach punched it to left. Next batter was Gyorko, a dead high ball hitter, and I think was behind in the count when Casali signaled up in the strikezone and Gyorko powdered it to the left field gap. Sure maybe Antone should have put the ball eye-high and out of range, but why start going up in the zone when he had been so dominant keeping it low and inside? Even the next batter Arcia took a high one deep for a sac fly.