Philadelphia Phillies ace Zack Wheeler did not expect to be taken out of the game by manager Rob Thomson
The Philadelphia Phillies were clinging to a one-run lead in the sixth inning when ace Zack Wheeler put two runners on with just one out. Manager Rob Thomson, knowing that it was a do-or-die game, decided to be proactive instead of reactive with the series hanging in the balance.
With the tying run in scoring position and imposing lefty Yordan Alvarez at the plate, Thomson elected to pull Wheeler and put Jose Alvarado in to get a lefty-lefty matchup and try to induce an inning-ending double play.
Alvarez promptly placed the 2-1 pitch into the seats, 450 feet away. In a heartbeat, the Phillies' lead was gone and their hopes of extending the series dwindling.
Despite throwing just 70 pitches and having full rest going into the start, Thomson pulled his starter.
Zack Wheeler said he was caught off guard when Rob Thomson came to take him out of the game 👀 https://t.co/3Q2MvQJvzC
When asked about it after the game, Wheeler admitted he was surprised:
"Win or go home right there, I mean, that's a tough pill to swallow. It's ultimately, Thom's call, that's the call he made... Nah, honestly, it caught me by surprise a little bit."
Much like Tampa Bay Rays manager Kevin Cash's decision to pull Blake Snell in the World Series in 2020, this decision did not work out like Thomson intended and it might have played a role in costing them their chance at a World Series title.
Why did Rob Thomson pull Zack Wheeler?
The baseball world was stunned when Thomson strolled out to get his starter who had only thrown 70 pitches and not yet yielded a run. However, the decision to do so, as costly as it may have been, wasn't necessarily the worst one to make.
Wheeler had only produced eight swings and misses through the 5.1 innings he pitched, resulting in five strikeouts, so his stuff wasn't as electric as it often is.
The pitcher does have a strong groundball rate of 45.9% and could have induced an inning-ending double play. However, Alvarado's groundball rate is 56.1% and he's a lefty.
Thomson elected to go for the lefty-lefty advantage and bring in someone who was even more likely to make Alvarez hit the ball on the ground, lowering the Astros' chance of scoring.
It didn't work out that way, but it's not the most absurd decision in the world.