(Denny Medley, USA TODAY Sports)
The experts had this managerial matchup as a mismatch in the battle of managers in the World Series. Who can blame the experts? Giants manager Bruce Bochy won two World Series championships while Royals manager Ned Yost is lucky to be managing the World Series.
Maybe in the end, this is going to be true. Bochy knows how to put his pitchers and his hitters in a position to succeed. He has never been second-guessed in managing.
Last night belonged to Yost. He outmanaged Bochy in the World Series. His managerial moves put the Royals in a position to take a 7-2 victory over the Giants in Game 2 while evening the series at 1 in the process.
With the Giants in a position to take the lead in the sixth inning, Yost had to do something. He knew he could not stick Yordano Ventura around to get out of it. He needed a reliever that was going to keep the game tied. He could have used Brandon Finnegan in relief. It wouldn’t be a bad move since he can throw strikes.
Yost did better. He used Kelvin Herrera to get the final two outs. He felt his best reliever would have kept Buster Posey and Hunter Pence stranded. His reliever made him look like a genius by getting the final two outs that kept the game tied at 2 in the sixth.
That move turned out to be a difference maker in this game. The Royals broke the tie by scoring five runs in the sixth inning to take a 7-2 lead, and from there, Herrera, Davis and Holland finished off the Giants.
If Yost went with Finnegan and the Giants took the lead, he would have had a sleepless night. There’s no question he would have second-guess himself by not using Herrera. The mainstream media and social media wouldn’t have to do it for him.
Yost was going to survive or lose with his best reliever out there in that spot the Royals were in the sixth inning.
It’s clear he learned his lesson from mismanging the wild-card game by using Herrera last night. He was understandably ripped for not using his best reliever in Herrera to protect a 3-2 lead in the wild-card game. He went with Ventura to relieve James Shields in the sixth inning, and it burned him when Brandon Moss hit a three-run home run to give the A’s a 4-3 lead over the Royals. He should have used his best reliever to protect a lead in that spot. He could have go by the book in using him in only the seventh inning because he flourishes well.
In the postseason, Yost has to use his best reliever at anytime. He finally understood that in the rest of the postseason. He wasn’t going to make the same mistake twice again, and his move proved that.
Bochy’s moves left a lot to be desired. It is sacrilegious to say it, but his moves cost the Giants the game.
It’s one thing to take Jake Peavy out in the sixth inning when he gave up a single to Lorenzo Cain and walked Eric Hosmer. It’s interesting why he would put Jean Machi to relieve Peavy. One would think he would put his best reliever like Javier Lopez, Jeremy Affledt or Yusmeiro Petit out there.
His decisions did not help the Giants. Machi gave up a hit to Billy Butler to give the Royals a 3-2 lead. Then, Hunter Strickland came in relief after Lopez had Alex Gordon out on a flyout, and he had nothing. He threw a wild pitch, gave up a two-run double to Salvador Perez and gave up a two-run home run to Omar Infante. He finished the night by acting like a child. He screamed at Perez after Infante hit that home run, and the Royals got off the bench to go after the petulant Giants reliever.
Most times than not, managers play a role when it comes to managing postseason games. There’s no question relievers make them look good, but managers have to know when to use them in the right spot.
Yost did while Bochy trotted out his situational relievers to keep it tied.
In the postseason, managers need to use their best reliever to keep it tied early in the game. This isn’t the regular season where guys have to pitch to their role.
Yost understood that, and he applied it by using Herrera as his first reliever of the bullpen.
The beleaguered Royals manager has not received credit for the Royals’ postseason success. His critics say the Royals win in spite of him.
Last night, no one can rip him.
Yost managed the Royals to a Game 2 win.
Last night validated Yost for one night.
Contact or Follow Leslie Monteiro: @LightRodWriter
Leslie Monteiro
Leslie is a contributor for Lightning Rod Sports. He covered high school sports in Bergen County out in North Jersey, and has written op-ed columns on sports such as Bleacher Report and NY Sports Digest.
