My thoughts on managerial decisions today:
O'Hearn in RF: don't like it. Only way it is acceptable if there was a legitimate [health] reason to have Santander DH today. Are they trying to keep him under 100 or 120 games in the OF this year, for some reason?
Pinch hitting Hays for O'Hearn vs LH reliever: the right move.
Taking Suarez out with 2 outs in the 6th: close call. There were 2 lefties in the next 3 batters, a great spot to use Coulombe. We had already gotten more than we could reasonable expect from Suarez. But his pitch count wasn't at danger levels yet. I can go either way.
Bringing in Cano for the 8th, after Akin had recorded one out in the 7th. Don't like it. Yes, there were 2/3 RH hitters due. But committing to Cano(8) and Kimbrel(9) would mean going into extra innings with basically just Dillon Tate (or the two guys that threw a lot of pitches last night). The game was 2-2, extra innings was a strong possibility. I would have tried to use a combination of Akin and Cano for the 8th and 9th, maybe getting Akin through the next left in the order at least. Then Kimbrel for the 10th, and we wouldn't be down to our last viable option until the 11th. Though this decision worked out well. I would have tried to get more out of Akin. At the time Cano came in, I actually typed a post in the game thread saying I felt it was not the right move, but I was busy at work too and forgot to hit send.
I might have pinch run Mateo for Mounty in the 9th when he got on with one out. Chance to steal and score on a single, or better chance to score all the way from first on a double. We would have had to use Urias or McCann at 1B in extra innings. But I'll take a chance on that if I think it improves my chances of ending the game in 9. Now Mounty is actually a pretty good baserunner, so I can see the argument for keeping him in.