The funny thing is that he has gotten more looks at the playoffs than anyone else. He will always wear choke jobs for the Giants and Cubs, but his time in D.C. and in Houston has shown him how to play baseball in the playoffs. He is usually very aggressive getting to his relief pitchers, ready to wheel back a starter if needed, and treat the next out as the most important one. You do it that way.
Someone zapped him back almost two decades in this World Series.
In the first game of the series, Baker was too slow to notice that Verlander wouldn't get through the lineup a second time, and that he had lost command of his pitches. After sweeping the New York Yankees, Baker only had two games to worry about before another day of rest. When they have had three days off from the end of the last series, you can go all out in Games 1 and 2, even if you only have two games. The Astros might never get that win back.
It's possible that he did it again for Game 3. Whether Lance McCullers was tipping his pitches or not is not the fault ofDusty. With the game being pushed back a day because of the rainout, Baker was able to skip over McCullers. The Phils were a top 10 hitting team against curves all season, and Joe was beating this drum all day. Thanks to the bonus off-day, Christian Javier was able to start Game 3, Verlander was able to start Game 4, and Framber Valdez was able to start Game 5. The option of never giving thePhillies a look at a breaking-ball only pitcher was on the table. The team lost by a touchdown. This felt like a mistake since there was not much Baker could do about his lineup going missing.
The Phils are not powerless against pitches. They were in the top 10 against four-seamers. They drop all the way down to 22nd with a.29 mark if you restrict that to high-pitched pitches. With World Series adrenaline and a directive that he would only go through the lineup twice, he could live in the range that Philadelphia finds so difficult to deal with. We will see how it goes in the fourth game.
It isn't Baker's fault if he was throwing what he was told to throw all night. Maybe he twirls a gem without the tipped item. This was the second time in three games that Baker didn't take advantage of the options he was given. His team is behind by two. They will have to beat at least two of the other players to win the Series. It is hard to believe that they will back up a poor start with another one since they have already beaten Wheeler and Nola.
Baker reverted to the old way of being stuck in his ways, ways that dictated that Verlander can't be pulled with a lead because he's Justin Verlander, and ways that said to not deviate from how the rotation was set before the series. It is definitely a trend for him.
I would like to buy Leon Draisaitl a pass for an expensive cocktail and a pot sticker.
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