The Astros overthought it
This is the Morning Win. Nate Scott is filling in for Andy Nesbitt for a couple of weeks.
Imagine this: The Houston Astros had a 2-0 lead over the Washington Nationals in Game 7 of the World Series on Wednesday night. It was the top of the seventh inning, and Astros starter Zack Greinke was working a one-hit masterpiece. In the bullpen, rested, fresh, and warming up, was their ace Gerrit Cole.
If you asked any Astros fan if they'd take the above scenario before the game, they wouldn't hesitate to take it. They'd laugh and pray for it. It was exactly what every Astros fan would have hoped for.
The Astros lost the game 6-2. Cole never pitched. And I'm still not entirely sure how it happened.
Well, I know how it happened. Let's go through it.
The Nationals' Anthony Rendon hit a solo shot off Greinke. Then Greinke issued a walk, and his night was over.
Fine. I understand the short leash in Game 7, even if Greinke had been masterful up to that point.
But then the Astros brought in Joe Harris. Harris is a fine reliever, but has struggled this series, and again, the Astros had one of the most dominant pitchers in baseball warming up in the pen. Harris gave up a two-run shot to Howie Kendrick.
OK, so that didn't work. At this point, the Astros turned to … Roberto Osuna, who walked a batter, but then somehow got out of the jam. The Astros at that point were only down 3-2. They were still alive.
At the top of the 8th, I thought we'd see the obvious move: Gerrit Cole on the mound, ready to dominate and close out the last two innings and give his team the best chance to win. He was warm. He was ready. He … was not on the mound.
It was Osuna again. Why? No idea! Osuna, he of the troubled past - he'd been suspended from Major League Baseball for violating their domestic violence policy - and not great postseason performance. He'd given up a huge home run in the series against the Yankees that nearly ended their season.
He was back out there. Not Cole, who was certainly warm at this point, and not being put in a tough situation with men on. It was Osuna. The Nationals promptly got an insurance run off an RBI single from Juan Soto. Osuna was then yanked for … Ryan Pressley. In the ninth, the Astros used Joe Smith, who combined with Jose Urquidy to give up two more runs.
You may notice that all of those names are not Gerrit Cole, who, again, is one of the most dominant pitchers in baseball.
I have no idea why Gerrit Cole wasn't used in this game, but it sure seems like Astros manager A.J. Hinch got caught up in situational matchups and over-thinking and not, you know, just tossing one of the best pitchers in baseball on the mound and letting him sort things out.
It wasn't like the Astros bullpen was dominant all postseason. This wasn't the 2015 Royals. The Nationals had tagged the Houston bullpen for much of the series, and the Astros had arguably the best pitcher in baseball waiting. It's not the time to think about matchups there.
Wednesday's Big Winner: Ben Simmons
There was a huge NBA brawl on Wednesday night that was sparked by a fight between Joel Embiid and Karl-Anthony Towns, but the winner of the fight was Ben Simmons, who actually got Towns to tap out after putting him in a chokehold.
Last note: RIP Deadspin
Deadspin, the influential sports blog, sure seems like it's on its death knell after executives fired its editor and a large portion of the staff resigned in protest on Wednesday. It was a good website, and watching what's happening to it should be scary for anyone who works in media.