Last season I was at a minor league game and the manager pulled the starter in the 6th even though he looked fine. They brought in a reliever who’d just come back from an injury, and the guy nearly blew the lead. Everyone in the stands was buzzing about whether it was the right move or not. I’m still not sure. If you were in that situation, would you stick with the starter or go with the bullpen like they did?
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I’ve seen that kind of swap too, and it really comes down to how much trust the manager has in his relievers. A lot of decisions aren’t about the eye test but more about pitch counts, matchups, and even what hitters are due up next. I came across this breakdown once sport https://www.chaseyoursport.com/baseball/how-managers-decide-pitching-changes/10734 and it really opened my eyes to all the behind-the-scenes numbers managers weigh. I used to think it was just “gut feel,” but after reading more, I realized a lot of it’s planned ahead. Personally, I probably would’ve done the same thing, even if it looked risky.