My one second guess from Game , is...

[HudsonHawk]

...in the 7th, when Gattis grounded into the FC, and Hinch did not pinch run for him at that point.

1.  You were down 2-1 at the time,
2.  You'd already lost one run due to a slow baserunner, and
3.  You had the top of the order coming up against Watson

I understand you don't want to have to burn two bench players there, but desperate times and all that.  You needed someone who could score on a double, or go 1B to 3B on a single.  Well, Springer did single, and Seager kicked the ball into LF...Gattis trotted on down to 2B, and *then* Hinch pinch ran for him.  Couldn't help think that if Fisher were running from 1B, he's on 3B after Springer's hit, and scores on the fly ball.  New ball game.

[Astros Fan in Big D]

 No doubt he should have pinch run there.   

[doyce7]

...in the 7th, when Gattis grounded into the FC, and Hinch did not pinch run for him at that point.

1.  You were down 2-1 at the time,
2.  You'd already lost one run due to a slow baserunner, and
3.  You had the top of the order coming up against Watson

I understand you don't want to have to burn two bench players there, but desperate times and all that.  You needed someone who could score on a double, or go 1B to 3B on a single.  Well, Springer did single, and Seager kicked the ball into LF...Gattis trotted on down to 2B, and *then* Hinch pinch ran for him.  Couldn't help think that if Fisher were running from 1B, he's on 3B after Springer's hit, and scores on the fly ball.  New ball game.

Meada had come in to face gattis and Springer, not that that really affects your issue. I'm not sure Fisher ends up at 3rd on that play. By my memory, seager didn't kick it so much as just couldn't get too it. It never detoured from the intended path and I think Fisher might get thrown out if he went to 3rd. That's hard to say though and I guess we'll never know. I'm with you that I would have pinch ran there. Though, I may have used maybin to try and steal a base to get into scoring position for Springer.

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[Astros Fan in Big D]

Stay away from outcomes-oriented assessment for a minute(not that there isn't some validity).

Think of all the scenarios where having Gattis run is superior to Fisher.  Narrow the list to Gattis running with a ball in play and it approaches zero and smacks it in the face.

[HudsonHawk]

Meada had come in to face gattis and Springer, not that that really affects your issue. I'm not sure Fisher ends up at 3rd on that play. By my memory, seager didn't kick it so much as just couldn't get too it. It never detoured from the intended path and I think Fisher might get thrown out if he went to 3rd. That's hard to say though and I guess we'll never know. I'm with you that I would have pinch ran there. Though, I may have used maybin to try and steal a base to get into scoring position for Springer.

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I would have saved Maybin to pinch hit later.  But Fisher is there to pinch run.  I suppose you could have even made a double switch and left him in the game for Reddick.  Not that it would have been an upgrade necessarily. 

[Jacksonian]

...in the 7th, when Gattis grounded into the FC, and Hinch did not pinch run for him at that point.

1.  You were down 2-1 at the time,
2.  You'd already lost one run due to a slow baserunner, and
3.  You had the top of the order coming up against Watson

I understand you don't want to have to burn two bench players there, but desperate times and all that.  You needed someone who could score on a double, or go 1B to 3B on a single.  Well, Springer did single, and Seager kicked the ball into LF...Gattis trotted on down to 2B, and *then* Hinch pinch ran for him.  Couldn't help think that if Fisher were running from 1B, he's on 3B after Springer's hit, and scores on the fly ball.  New ball game.

Looking at it on replay I'm not sure he would have made it, much less tried.

I thought sure you were going to second guess Altuve's poor situational hitting with 2 outs and 2 strikes in that inning.

[HudsonHawk]

Looking at it on replay I'm not sure he would have made it, much less tried.

I thought sure you were going to second guess Altuve's poor situational hitting with 2 outs and 2 strikes in that inning.

Why do you think his approach there was poor?

[BlownRanger]

...in the 7th, when Gattis grounded into the FC, and Hinch did not pinch run for him at that point.

1.  You were down 2-1 at the time,
2.  You'd already lost one run due to a slow baserunner, and
3.  You had the top of the order coming up against Watson

I understand you don't want to have to burn two bench players there, but desperate times and all that.  You needed someone who could score on a double, or go 1B to 3B on a single.  Well, Springer did single, and Seager kicked the ball into LF...Gattis trotted on down to 2B, and *then* Hinch pinch ran for him.  Couldn't help think that if Fisher were running from 1B, he's on 3B after Springer's hit, and scores on the fly ball.  New ball game.

In Game 5 I didn't understand waiting until McCann was on 2nd to pinch run Fisher, and I agree that a pinch runner should have been used as soon as Gattis reached base last night.  Assuming Springer's single ensues exactly as it did, and based on the Astros usual aggressive nature, I think we would have had a play at third and I think it would have been close. 

[JimR]

I do not think Fisher would have tried for third on that play.

[Limey]

I would have saved Maybin to pinch hit later.  But Fisher is there to pinch run.  I suppose you could have even made a double switch and left him in the game for Reddick.  Not that it would have been an upgrade necessarily.

I was thinking Maybin as it killed two birds with one stone: got Gattis off the base paths and got Reddick out of the line up in a legit, double-switch kind of way.  Either way, I did not understand not pinch-running for Gattis when he got on 1st, and you and I discussed that in the GZ at the time.

They got a 3rd run later, but a PR definitely ends up tying the game with perhaps more to come because of how that changes the dynamic of that inning and the others to follow.  Chasing 1 run against Jansen is a very different proposition that chasing two.

[Limey]

Looking at it on replay I'm not sure he would have made it, much less tried.

You don't think Pettis would've been calling him over?

[HudsonHawk]

In Game 5 I didn't understand waiting until McCann was on 2nd to pinch run Fisher, and I agree that a pinch runner should have been used as soon as Gattis reached base last night.  Assuming Springer's single ensues exactly as it did, and based on the Astros usual aggressive nature, I think we would have had a play at third and I think it would have been close.

In Game 5 Fisher pinch ran for McCann, which means you lose your starting catcher, with your backup catcher already in the game at DH. Plus the score was tied, which means if you don't score you lose your catcher and possibly your DH.  There were two outs. You wait until he's in scoring position. That made perfect sense. But last night Gattis hit for the pitcher with nobody out, and was coming out the game after that half inning anyway.  He was on with one out and you were trailing by a run. Just thought if Gattis was coming out anyway, why not pinch run as soon as he reached when a double tied the game and Springer and Bregman due up.

[JimR]

You don't think Pettis would've been calling him over?

No

[Jacksonian]

Why do you think his approach there was poor?

Outside pitch, slightly off the plate.  He pulled it right to third instead of poking it the other way.  It looked like they had him playing to pull.

[HudsonHawk]

Maybe Fisher doesn't try. In real time I was surprised it was not first and third. Either way, I thought it odd that Hinch didn't pinch run right away.

[HudsonHawk]

Outside pitch, slightly off the plate.  He pulled it right to third instead of poking it the other way.  It looked like they had him playing to pull.

Not a great swing, but two strikes, he's protecting. Not sure it was approach or plan so much as just one of them things.

[homer]

In Game 5 Fisher pinch ran for McCann, which means you lose your starting catcher, with your backup catcher already in the game at DH. Plus the score was tied, which means if you don't score you lose your catcher and possibly your DH.  There were two outs. You wait until he's in scoring position. That made perfect sense. But last night Gattis hit for the pitcher with nobody out, and was coming out the game after that half inning anyway.  He was on with one out and you were trailing by a run. Just thought if Gattis was coming out anyway, why not pinch run as soon as he reached when a double tied the game and Springer and Bregman due up.

Why not pinch run for Reddick when he reaches on the lead off walk? Serious question.

[JimR]

Why not pinch run for Reddick when he reaches on the lead off walk? Serious question.

Because he is fast and is a great base runner. Surely you have seen that after all these games.

[chuck]

Not a great swing, but two strikes, he's protecting. Not sure it was approach or plan so much as just one of them things.

It looked like he was trying to pull everything rather than drive the ball back up the middle or go with the pitch the opposite way. Getting a run driven in there was every bit as crucial as it was during Reddick's horrible at bat.

Hinch should have had Fisher run for Gattis immediately but I'm with everyone who doubts he would have made it to third on the single. Still, Fisher obviously presses the Dodgers far more on the bases than does Gattis and those little things matter bigly.

[BlownRanger]

In Game 5 Fisher pinch ran for McCann, which means you lose your starting catcher, with your backup catcher already in the game at DH. Plus the score was tied, which means if you don't score you lose your catcher and possibly your DH.  There were two outs. You wait until he's in scoring position. That made perfect sense.

At one point, this World Series had had more extra base hits than singles, and Springer plugging a gap was a real possibility.  In addition, Centeno is a good catcher and that game was almost certain to be decided before the nine-spot came up again.  I would have inserted the PR immediately.

[homer]

Because he is fast and is a great base runner. Surely you have seen that after all these games.

They have the league leader in stolen bases on the bench. Seems like a good time to use him.

[HudsonHawk]

They have the league leader in stolen bases on the bench. Seems like a good time to use him.

I don't think the base running advantage of Maybin over Reddick is enough to give up Maybin as a pinch hit option or a pinch run option for later in the game, say for McCann.  Fisher or Maybin over Gattis on the bases?  Sure. 

[BlownRanger]

How good are the Dodgers pitchers and Barnes against stolen bases?

[Limey]

How good are the Dodgers pitchers and Barnes against stolen bases?

Got to believe that Kershaw and Jansen can be run on, because of their long wind-ups.  Barnes allowed 23 stolen bases (in 45 games started at catcher) and threw out 7.  That doesn't sound good.

Of course, with Kershaw and Jansen, the trick is getting a runner on in the first place...