The Cubs squandered a strong start by Matt Garza earlier today, as reliever Kerry Wood and Carlos Marmol conspired to allow 5 8th inning runs in Washington’s 7-4 come-from-behind victory. Of the inevitability of both Wood and Marmol’s selection and subsequent collapse, Bleed Cubbie Blue’s Al Yellon asks, “Why on Earth wasn’t Rafael Dolis still in the game throwing the eighth inning?…it’s uncreative thinking like this that loses ballgames.”
Dolis threw only eight pitches in dispatching the Nationals in the seventh inning with the Cubs leading 4-2. The pitcher’s spot was not due up in the first five batters in the bottom of the inning. What is it with managers that have the mindset that, “It’s the eighth inning and no matter what the situation or what happened before, I am going to use the guy who is designated as my ‘eighth inning guy’.”
Also, by not sticking with Dolis in the eighth and having Wood throw 19 pitches and Marmol 23, both of them are probably unavailable tomorrow. (Most of you would probably say that’s a good thing.)