You realize the bullpen threw 5 innings of no-hit ball, right? I'm not saying anything bad about Coleman, he's been our ace, or Maineri, I think he's a great coach, I just think Coleman should not have started the 7th.
I do. You have to take into consideration how hot it was. Coleman had already figured out how to deal with the heat and sweat and wasn't exactly allowing Texas to run away with the game. We never trailed by more than 2 runs with Coleman pitching, although it may have seemed like more. The relief was able to come in after the temps cooled down a little bit. And they were more effective.
It really cooled down for Jones after that one batter in the 7th, he could not have withstood the sweltering heat 3 minutes before.
Look it worked out and it's all good for the Tigers, but Colemans last pitch was hit out of the park, he didn't have anything figured out or under control. There are a couple of arguments you can make for leaving him in, but that's not one of them.
I wouldn't say that either coach made terribly bad decisions. As I said it was a great display of strategy. CPM just moved his Knights more efficiently to get the check mate. Great job by the Tigers.
Jones was going in to face the second batter in the 7th anyway. He is the situational left handed reliever. CPM was probably hoping Coleman could get the lead off right hander before he put Jones in to face the lefty. I don't think he was expecting Coleman to finish the 7th. He could have started a true middle reliever in the 7th, but down a run you start thinking about saving your pitchers for 2 more games.
Coleman usually can leave a fastball up because he has such great side to side movement that the batter rarely gets the heart of the bat on the ball. He was not getting that side to side movement on every pitch last night. Be it the heat, the slickness of the ball, or whatever, the fact is his fastball was flattening out. If you know your fastball is flattening, you HAVE to keep it down and away, and he was not doing that. Hershiser kept saying the same thing. Every one of those homers was a fastball that flattened out belt high or higher over the plate, except for the one to Keyes, which was low and inside (should have been low and outside and he would have hit a chopper to short...)
