A Fly Inside Buck's Brain

[JayThomas]

I would love to be that fly.

Mind you, I am a huge Buck fan and I think he is the best manager that the O's have had since Davey Johnson.

That said, I can not get my head around the motivation for his bullpen moves last night at all, both in terms of pitcher preservation and in terms of pitcher at-bats.

After 5 innings and 84 pitches, Dylan Bundy was set to lead off the 6th inning in a 4-run game. This is the same Dylan that has pitched 70 innings already this season after having pitched a total of 63.2 innings in 3 years (22.0 in 2015).

I'm trying to understand why Buck would give up the first out of an inning in order to push Dylan beyond 84 pitches in a middle inning of a 4-run game?

Isn't the obvious answer to pinch hit and bring in Worley? Isn't Bundy's arm worth protecting here a little bit and isn't the out on offense worth something here? Was Buck trying to save the bullpen somehow here?

Then Hart comes in, finishes the 7th and handles the 8th seamlessly. If saving the bullpen was so important to give up an out in the 6th and run Bundy back out there towards 90 pitches (92), then why wouldn't he just send Hart back out there with a 4 run lead? I mean if you can't trust a pitcher to protect a 4 run lead for 3 outs, then that guy really shouldn't be out there. It would not have been the 2nd time through the order either, as Hart had only faced 4 batters.

Anyway, Buck is way smarter than me and I'm sure that he had perfectly good reasons. I just wish that I knew what they were so I could learn a little more of the nuances of bullpen management.

[crawjo]

I think they are intentionally trying to get Bundy up over 90 pitches in his starts now. It's a deliberate strategy over the last two starts.

[Tx Oriole]

I would love to be that fly.

Mind you, I am a huge Buck fan and I think he is the best manager that the O's have had since Davey Johnson.

That said, I can not get my head around the motivation for his bullpen moves last night at all, both in terms of pitcher preservation and in terms of pitcher at-bats.

After 5 innings and 84 pitches, Dylan Bundy was set to lead off the 6th inning in a 4-run game. This is the same Dylan that has pitched 70 innings already this season after having pitched a total of 63.2 innings in 3 years (22.0 in 2015).

I'm trying to understand why Buck would give up the first out of an inning in order to push Dylan beyond 84 pitches in a middle inning of a 4-run game?

Isn't the obvious answer to pinch hit and bring in Worley? Isn't Bundy's arm worth protecting here a little bit and isn't the out on offense worth something here? Was Buck trying to save the bullpen somehow here?

Then Hart comes in, finishes the 7th and handles the 8th seamlessly. If saving the bullpen was so important to give up an out in the 6th and run Bundy back out there towards 90 pitches (92), then why wouldn't he just send Hart back out there with a 4 run lead? I mean if you can't trust a pitcher to protect a 4 run lead for 3 outs, then that guy really shouldn't be out there. It would not have been the 2nd time through the order either, as Hart had only faced 4 batters.

Anyway, Buck is way smarter than me and I'm sure that he had perfectly good reasons. I just wish that I knew what they were so I could learn a little more of the nuances of bullpen management.

Would be interesting to learn. Baseball is my favorite sport but there is so much of it I don't understand. I wish I could talk with Buck. There is so much I could learn from him.

[tntoriole]

I would love to be that fly.

Mind you, I am a huge Buck fan and I think he is the best manager that the O's have had since Davey Johnson.

That said, I can not get my head around the motivation for his bullpen moves last night at all, both in terms of pitcher preservation and in terms of pitcher at-bats.

After 5 innings and 84 pitches, Dylan Bundy was set to lead off the 6th inning in a 4-run game. This is the same Dylan that has pitched 70 innings already this season after having pitched a total of 63.2 innings in 3 years (22.0 in 2015).

I'm trying to understand why Buck would give up the first out of an inning in order to push Dylan beyond 84 pitches in a middle inning of a 4-run game?

Isn't the obvious answer to pinch hit and bring in Worley? Isn't Bundy's arm worth protecting here a little bit and isn't the out on offense worth something here? Was Buck trying to save the bullpen somehow here?

Then Hart comes in, finishes the 7th and handles the 8th seamlessly. If saving the bullpen was so important to give up an out in the 6th and run Bundy back out there towards 90 pitches (92), then why wouldn't he just send Hart back out there with a 4 run lead? I mean if you can't trust a pitcher to protect a 4 run lead for 3 outs, then that guy really shouldn't be out there. It would not have been the 2nd time through the order either, as Hart had only faced 4 batters.

Anyway, Buck is way smarter than me and I'm sure that he had perfectly good reasons. I just wish that I knew what they were so I could learn a little more of the nuances of bullpen management.

There have been many other bullpen choices that were way more difficult for me to understand than last night. They were trying to get Bundy stretched out just beyond 90 pitches. Brach needed the work and the idea was for him to finish the 9th and the game. Didn't work out that way, but that was the plan and it was a reasonable one to me.

[bobmc]

My take is the desire to get Bundy's pitch count over 90 and a chance for the proverbial "Quality Start". Bundy wanted to go six so there is that...

From Roch:

Bundy on how he reacts coming out after 5 2/3 innings:

“Give him the ball and go in the dugout. That’s all you can do, but I wanted to go six, obviously. That registers a quality start, I think. That’s your goal is to go six innings and keep your team in the game and handle the bullpen. I feel like I did a decent job today. I look forward to the next start.”

http://www.masnsports.com/school-of-roch/2016/08/wrapping-up-a-5-2-win-3.html

[Can_of_corn]

I wouldn't want Buck to have a fly in his brain.

Doesn't seem sanitary.

[JayThomas]

There have been many other bullpen choices that were way more difficult for me to understand than last night. They were trying to get Bundy stretched out just beyond 90 pitches. Brach needed the work and the idea was for him to finish the 9th and the game. Didn't work out that way, but that was the plan and it was a reasonable one to me.

These next 2 games figure to be well-pitched by the Giants. If we're going to be in them, we're probably going to have to use Brach and Britton in both of them. Given the way Buck doesn't want to run guys out there multiple days in a row, last night was a night (4 run game with 3 outs to go) was a night to try to stay away from Brach as well.

[weams]

These next 2 games figure to be well-pitched by the Giants. If we're going to be in them, we're probably going to have to use Brach and Britton in both of them. Given the way Buck doesn't want to run guys out there multiple days in a row, last night was a night (4 run game with 3 outs to go) was a night to try to stay away from Brach as well.

Brach has been crappy. He needs to get some confidence back. It's not about work. It's about posture.

[Can_of_corn]

Brach has been crappy. He needs to get some confidence back. It's not about work. It's about posture.

Did he look lost last night or was Buck doing his reflex save situation thing again?

[Frobby]

Did he look lost last night or was Buck doing his reflex save situation thing again?

He looked bad. Fell behind to every batter he faced.

[Can_of_corn]

He looked bad. Fell behind to every batter he faced.

Thanks.

[wildcard]

Just looked like Buck was matching up to me.

Bundy stayed on to face switch-hitter Pagan and lefty Belt.

Givens does better with righties so he came it to face Posey. Next inning he stayed on to face lefty Crawford (unavoidable) and righty Pence.

When Bochy pinch hit lefty Blanco, Buck went to the pen for Hart. Hart faced lefty Panick, Bochy pinch hitter switch hitter Adrianza, Hart stayed on for lefty Span.

Brach was supposed to pitcher all the 9th but didn't have it so Britton came in to get the save.

Looked like a good job of Buck matching up to me.

[weams]

Just looked like Buck was matching up to me.

Bundy stayed on to face switch-hitter Pagan and lefty Belt.

Givens does better with righties so he came it to face Posey. Next inning he stayed on to face lefty Crawford (unavoidable) and righty Pence.

When Bochy pinch hit lefty Blanco, Buck went to the pen for Hart. Hart faced lefty Panick, Bochy pinch hitter switch hitter Adrianza, Hart stayed on for lefty Span.

Brach was supposed to pitcher all the 9th but didn't have it so Britton came in to get the save.

Looked like a good job of Buck matching up to me.

Bad to me. I'm with Frobby. Stand tall.

[wildcard]

Bad to me. I'm with Frobby. Stand tall.

Good job by Buck. Brach just didn't have it last night.

[eddie83]

If Hart pitches another inning he isn't available today.

Buck didn't want to burn a hitter up 4. Pearce is hurting so a short bench. You pinch hit there and the player is burned the rest of the game.