I was watching MLB Network on Saturday night, and was surprised by something I heard analyst Joe Magrane say. He said no matter what, the Pittsburgh Pirates would not pitch Gerrit Cole on Sunday because they must save him for the NL Wild Card game on Wednesday.
This made absolutely no sense to me. The Pittsburgh Pirates went to bed Saturday night trailing the St. Louis Cardinals by one game in the NL Central, with one day remaining in the season. They have a real shot at tying the Cardinals for the division and forcing a one-game playoff on Monday, with the winner getting a bye into the Division Series.
If the Pirates fail to tie the Cardinals on Sunday, their fallback plan for Wednesday is a pretty good one: Edinson Volquez.
Volquez is 3-0 over his last eight starts with a 1.36 ERA. He's allowed just two home runs in 53 innings over those starts.
You have to go for the division if you are the Pirates. You cannot concede the division for the one-and-done wild card. It is also a much easier decision knowing you have Volquez ready on full rest.
This is not about Cole vs. Volquez. Cole has been really good this year and the future is bright for this kid. It's about going for the division when you have a chance to win it.
Cole did indeed start on Sunday and (at this writing) has dominated the Reds through seven innings. The score is 1-1 in the 8th. Win or lose, this was the right decision.
