Charlie Manuel outwits Tony La Russa in strategic matchup – MLB Update
In what turned out to be a battle of tactics in the end, Philadelphia Phillies manager Charlie Manuel outmanoeuvred St. Louis Cardinals’ Tony La Russa to guide his team to a crucial 3-2 win over the Redbirds in game three of the National League Division
Series at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, Missouri on Tuesday, October 4.
Cole Hamels made a quality-start for the Phillies, pitching six scoreless innings on the trot to impose pressure on the home-team. Carefully assessing the situation, Manuel removed Hamels from the mound after the sixth inning to bring an end to a spectacular
spell of spotless pitching. The starter allowed just five hits in this stretch and struck-out eight batters in the process to win the game for the visitors.
Cardinals’ starter Jaime Garcia remained strong for the first six innings as well and matched Hamels’ feat. However, La Russa failed to read the situation and continued with his starter in the seventh inning. Ben Francisco’s three-run homer to Garcia gave
the Phillies a vital three-run lead in the low-scoring tie and eventually saw them through to gain a 2-1 lead in the five-game series.
Coming in as pinch hitter for Hamels, Francisco made full use of his only at-bat. Shane Victorino and Carlos Ruiz scored on his home-run to inflict a three-run lead over the Redbirds. La Russa's reaction was expected. He removed Garcia thereafter, but the
damage had already been done.
"Well, it didn't work, so that's bad managing," La Russa said. "I'm watching him pitch and was really pleased. I thought he was the guy to continue pitching and I knew the matchups were in our favour. It didn't work."
However, the manager remains confident that the Cardinals have been in this situation before and are capable of coming back against Roy Oswalt in game four.
Manuel expressed happiness on the win and was content that his strategy paid off in the end. He said, "I figured the game was on the line, and we had to stop them."
The National League East Champions can end Cardinals’ post-season campaign as early as October 5. However, if the offence picks up, the Cardinals have the ability to take it down to the wire.
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