Blue Jays: Both sides of the argument to let Alek Manoah pitch the 9th

The argument for taking him out

As I already mentioned, there was no debate about Manoah’s opinion on Saturday afternoon. He wasn’t ready to hand the ball over to another pitcher, and despite his relative inexperience, he let his coaching staff know that he wanted to stay in the game. As Dan Shulman and Pat Tabler alluded to on yesterday’s broadcast, you wouldn’t want it any other way, even if Manoah wasn’t happy.

As much as I wanted to see Manoah get a chance to finish off the Reds, I understood why Montoyo and Walker made the decision. Heading into the top of the ninth the score was just 3-1 for the Blue Jays, which meant there was another save opportunity for Jordan Romano, who has been one of the top closers in the American League so far this season. Even if Manoah was still rolling, handing the ball to Romano in that situation was hardly a step back.

More importantly, the Reds had their 3-4-5 hitters due up in the top of the ninth, and they were about to get their fourth look at Manoah on the day. For many of the Cincinnati hitters, it was their first time facing the Blue Jays’ talented young starter, and that generally works to the advantage of the pitcher. Still, getting a fourth crack at any pitcher in the same day increases the odds in the hitter’s favour, and the Jays’ coaching staff is well aware of the numbers in those circumstances. The Reds don’t have a mighty lineup by any means, but a trio of Tommy Pham, Joey Votto, and Tyler Stephenson can still do some damage in a hurry, and it was just a two-run game.

Secondly, the Blue Jays straight up needed to make sure they won on Saturday. They’ve been struggling in the month of May, and despite winning the first two games of the series against baseball’s worst team, the Jays have still only scored five runs over those two contests. The margin for error has been very, very slim, and I understand why the coaching staff didn’t want to take any chances.

Lastly, by taking Manoah out when they did, Montoyo and Walker ensured that their big righty would finish with a very impressive box score for the day, and ended on a positive note. It would have been a massive shame if he came out to pitch the ninth and lost control of the Reds hitters, and this way there’s nothing but positive momentum heading into his next outing.

While the baseball fan in me didn’t want to see Manoah taken out of the game, I can understand why the decision was made.