Incidentally, DiNardo’s 2 1/3 innings today could explain why it was Malaska on yesterday - saving DiNardo for long relief today given that Kim probably can’t make many pitches. Not sure if that’s right. On the good side, I noted Francona’s willingness not to put his whole trust in his own observations in this ESPN article:
Francona understands he was hired in Boston as much for his ability to handle people as for his ability to use a laptop. But he has come to believe that you can’t make the right calls on handling the people if you don’t see what’s inside the computer – because “your eyes can deceive you,” he says.
“If you see a bunch of numbers, that’s the truth,” he says. “If something has happened 99 times out of 100, there’s a pretty good chance it’s going to happen again.”
The article also notes that it’s pretty stupid to ask pitchers when they’re done, or at least to take their word for it without reading their body language. Duh.