© Kevin Jairaj | 2020 Oct 27
We will be talking about this one for a long, long time.
Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher Blake Snell was dealing by any metric in Game 6 of the World Series. He had struck out nine and allowed two hits through 5 1/3 innings. He had thrown 73 pitches.
That was enough for manager Kevin Cash, however, who pulled Snell after he gave up his second hit of the game, a single to Austin Barnes, with one out in the fifth. The decision was especially curious, considering that the next three batters, the top of the Dodgers’ order, were 0-for-6 with six strikeouts up to that point.
Alas, the decision was made, and it only took a few minutes to backfire. Reliever Nick Anderson, promptly gave up a double, a game-tying wild pitch and an RBI groundout, putting the Rays behind in the game for the first time 2-1.
The Dodgers would go onto win 3-1 and clinch their first World Series title since 1988.
If you thought Twitter was going to take it easy on Cash, well, c’mon of course you didn’t think that:
I was just thinking today about how Madison Bumgarner pitching 5 shutout relief innings on 1 day’s rest in Game 7 was one of the coolest sports things I’ve ever seen. Feels like that would never, ever be allowed to happen now.
— Tom Ley (@ToLey88) October 28, 2020
#Rays….
Why?
Why?
Why?#WorldSeries— Alex Rodriguez (@AROD) October 28, 2020
Computers running the game.
Not humans.Binders lead to blinders. Manage with blinders on, you miss what’s actually happening in real time.#WorldSeries
— Alex Rodriguez (@AROD) October 28, 2020
The #Rays front office & computers may end up being the MVP for the #Dodgers. #WorldSeries
— Alex Rodriguez (@AROD) October 28, 2020
I still can't get over it. Worst decision I've seen in all of the #WorldSeries I've watched.
— Alex Rodriguez (@AROD) October 28, 2020
Crazy he gave up only his second hit of the game and got pulled! #WorldSeries
— Patrick Mahomes II (@PatrickMahomes) October 28, 2020
Dude has a 9k-2 hit shutout, with 75 pitches??? And u yank him?? Fire me……I’m riding my horse! Now 2-1 Dodgers…..
— Chipper Jones (@RealCJ10) October 28, 2020
So who gets to pull the manager? #worldseries
— Noah Syndergaard (@Noahsyndergaard) October 28, 2020
If I were Blake Snell I would talk about this in therapy for months
— Emma Baccellieri (@emmabaccellieri) October 28, 2020
Kevin Cash running out of the dugout to take Blake Snell out of the game after only 73 pitches:pic.twitter.com/WdOZAQjqbR
— SNY (@SNYtv) October 28, 2020
https://twitter.com/Schennorris/status/1321280078165266433
Dave Roberts: “I’m probably the worst at managing a game”
Kevin Cash: pic.twitter.com/8PTlvIEMGa
— (@Arrestful) October 28, 2020
blake snell waiting for kevin cash after the game like pic.twitter.com/524fDpq8z9
— Mina Kimes (@minakimes) October 28, 2020
Kevin Cash? Folks, I call him Kevin Bitcoin cuz I have no idea how it works.
— Tom Fornelli (@TomFornelli) October 28, 2020
Kevin Cash rivaling Quibi for worst decision of the year
— Morning Brew ☕️ (@MorningBrew) October 28, 2020
The Rays: *take Blake Snell out the game*
The Dodgers: pic.twitter.com/4bzBHwIsqP
— The Ringer (@ringer) October 28, 2020
So who gets to pull the manager? #worldseries
— Noah Syndergaard (@Noahsyndergaard) October 28, 2020
Kevin Cash explaining why pulling Snell was the correct move pic.twitter.com/scAfNbgBUS
— Andrew Claudio (@AndrewJClaudio_) October 28, 2020
So let me get this straight: @RaysBaseball manager Cash took out Snell, a lefty, vs Betts — who batted .218 vs lefties — to bring in a R-Hander who’s given up runs in 6-straight postseason appearances? Sound like the Manager dropped the proverbial ball on this one.
— Stephen A Smith (@stephenasmith) October 28, 2020
— Alex Pavlovic (@PavlovicNBCS) October 28, 2020
Bruce Bochy on his couch at home watching Kevin Cash manage this game. pic.twitter.com/aJ5oR5VgJt
— LOLKNBR (@LOLKNBR) October 28, 2020
thank the heavens for Bruce Bochy
— (@AndyKHLiu) October 28, 2020
Bochy’s reaction to Kevin Cash pulling Snell pic.twitter.com/vOFfWrI9m1
— Jerry (@norcalpunkman) October 28, 2020
