Tony Vitello made an unexplainable mistake that most MLB managers don’t make and it cost the Giants a win against the Phillies
Former Tennessee Volunteers baseball coach Tony Vitello showed his inexperience as a big league manager with a brutal decision that cost the San Francisco Giants’ a win against the Philadelphia Phillies.
Former Tennessee Vols baseball coach Tony Vitello made a brutal mistake on Thursday that cost the San Francisco Giants a win in game two of a doubleheader against the Philadelphia Phillies.
The Giants lost both games of the doubleheader via Phillies walk-offs, but it was Vitello’s mistake in game two that stands out the most from the two losses.
Tony Vitello made an unexplainable mistake that cost the Giants a win
Vitello, who is in his first season as the manager of the Giants, made the bizarre decision in the 9th inning of game two to pitch to Phillies DH Kyle Schwarber with two outs and the tying run on third base.
And not only did Vitello choose to pitch to Schwarber, but he left RHP Keaton Winn in to face the lefty, despite having LHP Matt Gage ready to go in the bullpen.
Schwarber, one of the most dangerous hitters in the league, hit a game-tying double off Winn, who was out for a second inning of work for the first time since last September.
(In Winn’s defense, Schwarber hit a 3-2 pitch that was out of the zone.)
Now, it was a tough spot for Vitello, but he still didn’t handle it well.
Conventional wisdom says you should walk Schwarber, even if meant putting the go-ahead run on base (he’s not a threat to steal, so it’s unlikely he would’ve taken second base in that situation). The problem, of course, is that Bryce Harper was on deck. Vitello knows Harper well, and he likely knows that Harper thrives on those types of situations. So it was kind of a pick your poison situation.
What doesn’t make sense, though, is leaving Winn out there to pitch to Schwarber when a lefty was ready to go — especially with another lefty in Harper on deck.
Schwarber, after all, is hitting .196 this season against left handers and .250 against right handers.
“Just how (Winn) was throwing the ball to the last hitter,” said Vitello after the game when asked about the decision. “He’s been in the fire out there. It’s a difficult decision, and if it goes well, right answer. If it doesn’t, wrong answer.”
Baseball is a weird sport where the right decision doesn’t always lead to a positive result. And sometimes a dumb decision can work out.
But choosing to let a righty pitch to Schwarber with the game on the line is playing with fire. And Vitello paid the price.
This is the big leagues, it isn’t the SEC. These are the best hitters in the world. And if you try to get cute, they’ll make you pay. Vitello learned that the hard way on Thursday in Philly.