The internet blew up yesterday after Don Mattingly’s controversial closer decision in the NL Wildcard game against the Braves, and honestly, the conversation should be mandatory viewing for the Cleveland Guardians as they gear up for their American League Division Series this weekend. Mattingly pulled Jhoan Duran into the bottom of the seventh with a tight 3-2 lead, putting him up against Atlanta’s numbers 9, 1, and 2 hitters. Then, he brought Duran back out for the eighth inning to face hitters 3, 4, and 5 in the order. Everyone immediately slammed it as a huge mistake when Duran coughed up a three-run, go-ahead homer to Austin Riley in the eighth, right after the fifth and sixth hitters got on base via an infield hit and a hit-by-pitch. Talk about a gut punch.
The Play That Blew Up and Why Everyone Was Wrong (Mostly)
Now, I’m gonna be real with you, calling Mattingly’s whole move a mistake isn’t totally fair. Not to Mattingly, not to Duran, and frankly, not to any team that tries this kind of bold strategy. Duran entered a one-run game and absolutely shut down the most dangerous hitters in the Atlanta lineup, getting five straight outs. Yeah, he ended up giving up weak contact that, through sheer bad luck, turned into a hit. At that exact moment, someone should have been frantically warming up and getting ready to come into the game. That next arm would’ve had six pitches and a potential mound visit to mentally reset before Riley even stepped to the plate for that fateful at-bat. But Mattingly, I suspect, kept Duran on too long because the Phillies’ bullpen as a whole just isn’t that deep.
The Fine Line Between Sound Strategy and Second Guessing
Here’s the thing: Mattingly’s process, even with that brutal result, was sound. You have a lead in the seventh or later in a playoff game, you HAVE to make sure your best reliever is throwing high-leverage pitches against the opponent’s best hitters. He did that, and Duran got five out of six hitters out. That’s good baseball. But after that fifth out, when you’ve got two outs and a runner on first, and you’re asking your closer for one more out in an unfamiliar situation? That’s where you bring in your next best option. It’s not just about getting that last out; it also means no one else on Atlanta’s squad gets a look at Duran to help them later in a series, even if Atlanta is pretty familiar with the Phillies already.
This is exactly why Stephen Vogt needs to be having serious conversations with the Guardians’ bullpen staff about these kinds of situations right now. If Cleveland faced the exact same scenario, going to Cade Smith makes total sense. He’s proven he can be that “fireman,” throw multiple innings, and he’d guarantee their best hitters face him with a lead at the end of the game. Plus, with the off days built into the ALDS schedule, the Guardians can afford to be super aggressive with Smith and their other top-tier arms. That’s how you learn from another team’s pain and flip it into your own playoff advantage. The ALDS is here, and every single bullpen decision is going to matter.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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