The secondguessing of Seattle Mariners manager Dan Wilson probably began Monday before George Springer crossed home plate after his stunning threerun home run to propel the Toronto Blue Jays to the World Series.
The second-guessing of Seattle Mariners manager Dan Wilson probably began Monday before George Springer crossed home plate after his stunning three-run home run to propel the Toronto Blue Jays to the World Series.
The blast was euphoric for Toronto, which won the AL pennant in a 4-3 victory largely on strength of Springer's blast into the left-field bleachers at Rogers Centre. For Seattle, it was a gut punch that will haunt the franchise that was previously eight outs away from reaching its first-ever World Series.
And it raised hard questions for Wilson, whose fateful decision in that pivotal seventh inning to pitch reliever Eduard Bazardo instead of closer Muñoz prompted immediate second-guessing in his postgame news conference.
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There was speculation before the pitching change that Wilson instead would go with closer Andrés Muñoz for a two-plus inning save. Muñoz had pitched just two innings in the ALCS and was relatively fresh for the seven-game series. And he hadn't allowed a run in 6 1/3 postseason innings.
Bazardo, meanwhile, had pitched five innings in three ALCS appearances, including a two-inning stint in Sunday's 6-2 loss in Game 2. He also pitched in all five games of Seattle's 3-2 ALDS win over the Detroit Tigers.
So why did Wilson make the call that he did?
Wilson talks decision to pitch Bazardo
"Bazardo has been the guy that's gotten us through those situation[s], those tight ones, especially in the pivot role, and that's where we were going at that point," Wilson told reporters.
Until Bazardo entered the game with one out in the bottom of the seventh, the Mariners were in control. Julio Rodriguez led off the game with a double and came around to score, and the Mariners went into the seventh with a 3-1 lead with strong pitching from starter George Kirby and regular-season starter Bryan Woo, who came in for relief in the fifth.
Woo pitched two scoreless innings, but allowed two baserunners with no outs in the seventh. After a sacrifice bunt to advance the runners, Woo's night was done. Then came Wilson's call to put Bazardo in the game.
Two pitches into Bazardo's appearance, Springer hit the home run that shift the fate of both franchises.
Source: "AOL Sports"
Source: FORTE MAG
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