Clint Hurdle’s Game 3 Decision
(Ed note: I was going to write this before Morales’ tough luck game 1 appearance (he’s not use to pitching out of the bullpen and the Red Sox got a lot of soft hits) and I’m sticking with it.)
One thing is for sure. When Josh Fogg was let go by the Pirates I don’t think he ever thought he would be starting a World Series game. Even the Triple A World Series seemed like a longshot. But Fogg found a home in Colorado and Rockies manager Clint Hurdle now has him penciled in as his starter for game 3. David Ortiz is already so excited he’s leaving piles of drool everywhere.
It’s a nice little story for Fogg, but Hurdle should be starting Franklin Morales. Fogg’s impressive NLCS performance is surely still fresh in Hurdle’s mind, but that was against a young Diamonbacks team that was willing to chase Fogg’s junk. The Red Sox will not be so kind.
To beat the Red Sox a pitcher needs an out pitch. Fogg just doesn’t have one. Look at his stuff. Ok fastball. Ok control. Ok breaking ball. Ok change-up. What’s going to happen when he gets into a 3-2 count against Youkilis, Ortiz, and Ramirez? Throw a change-up out of the zone and hope they chase it? Throw a fastball down the middle and hope they hit it at somebody? There’s really no good outcome.
Morales is inexperienced, but at least he has the stuff to throw fastballs to Red Sox hitters in fastball counts and not strain his neck watching them fly into the left field seats. Even if you discount his superior stuff, Morales has done enough to earn this start. In game 2 of the NLCS he pitched very well before being pulled for a pinch hitter, and during a three week stretch in September he pitched 20 consecutive scoreless innings. (That’s right. 20 straight scoreless innings. Josh Fogg did that once in Wii baseball.) Overall, Morales had a 3.43 ERA in the regular season. Fogg’s ERA was 4.94.
On the other hand, Hurdle just went on a 21-1 tear.. My 0-0 record pales in comparison, and so maybe I should be giving Hurdle the benefit of the doubt.
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