3-1 in the 7th, 2 outs, runner on 2nd, why did Cooper let Oswalt hit? “He’s pitching well, and he’s my ace,” Cooper said.
Roy wanted even more than 7 innings; “I was wanting to go back and get through the eighth,” Oswalt said, “but Doug hadn’t thrown in a while.” Link
Jim Deshaies remarked that “sometime a manager manages the team and sometimes he manages a player”. Suggesting that Cooper was giving Oswalt, who only threw 91 pitches total through 7, a chance to get in a groove.
However, the Cardinal media noticed,
“On an Astros pregame radio show, Cooper was said to have labeled it as a “must-win” game, seemingly ignoring the fact there were 107 games to follow.” Link
Letting the pitcher hit in the 7th down 3-1 seems an odd way to pursue a “must win”. But no one commented on the Cardinals using 5 pitchers and 2 defensive replacements in a 9 inning game, ignoring the fact that they have 105 games yet to play.
Relievers’ Rules
Brewers manager Yost has implemented the rule: If a reliever throws in a game three days in a row, he shall be shut down on the fourth. Link
None of the Brewers relievers are currently pushing the rule and should all be available throughout the series vs the Astros.