Pitching match-ups. It’s a tactic that no one really ever heard of until the advent of pitching specialists such as a swing man, a set-up man and the ever-popular closer role. The tactic involves bringing in a guy specifically to pitch to a guy’s weakness, such as bringing in a left-hander to face a left-handed batter who struggles against lefties or bringing in a pitcher who has had success against a specific batter in the past – or so the theory goes. For the most part pitching match-up work.

…but not always.

Dodger fans don’t have to look very far to see several failed pitching match-ups employed by Dodgers manager Don Mattingly. Perhaps the most obvious was during Game-2 of the NLDS when Mattingly removed right-hander Zack Greinke form his two-hit 2-0 shutout after seven innings (having thrown 103 pitches) to match up left-hander J.P. Howell against three consecutive Cardinals left-handers due up. Not only did Howell not get any of the lefties out but he allowed a single, a two-run home run and another single to turn Greinke’s stellar 2-0 shutout into a 2-2 tie. Fortunately, Howell was let off the hook by a dramatic game-winning home run by Matt Kemp and Mattingly’s failed decision was all but swept under the rug.

…and then came Game-3.

Fresh off the disabled list with shoulder irritation, left-hander Hyun-jin Ryu pitch brilliantly for six innings allowing only one run (a Matt Carpenter solo home run – go figure) on five hits with a walk and four strike outs. Ryu was at 94 pitches and was due to bat third in the top of the seventh inning. When Juan Uribe flied out to right and A.J. Ellis struck out, most Dodger fans thought that Ryu would bat for himself and come back out and at least start the bottom of the seventh inning. But instead, with right-handed hitting Yadier Molina due to lead off the bottom of the inning followed by lefties Jon Jay and Kolten Wong, Mattingly pulled Ryu for pinch-hitter Scott Van Slyke (making his first-ever postseason plate appearance) who grounded out to short on the second pitch he saw.

The biggest question of the night is why did Mattingly pull Ryu after six innings with two lefties due up in the bottom of the inning. Ryu was at 94 pitches but said that he could have gone longer.
(Photo credit – Jeff Curry)

For reasons that only he knows, Mattingly brought in left-hander Scott Elbert to face the ever-dangerous Yadier Molina – a right hander; and for reasons that only Scott Elbert and catcher A.J. Ellis know, Elbert threw Molina a first-pitch 87-MPH change-up that Molina ripped down the left field line for a leadoff double. And wouldn’t you know, the next batter, the left-handed hitting Kolten Wong, crushed an 89-MPH Elbert hanging slider into the seats in right center field for what would prove to be a game-winning two-run home run.

Scott Elbert is the latest Mattingly lefty-lefty match-up failure.
(Photo credit – Scott Rovak)

Having apparently not learned, Mattingly again brought in J.P. Howell in the eighth inning to pitch to left-handers Jon Jay and Kolten Wong with one out and runners on first and second (courtesy of Brian Wilson). As if on cue, Jay lined a single to left but miraculously the ball wasn’t hit hard enough to score the runner on second base. Even more miraculously, Howell made a between-the-legs backwards grab of a comebacker (à la Clayton Kershaw) for an incredible 1-2-3 double play to escape the inning. Unfortunately, the Dodgers were unable to score and lost  the game 3-1 and are now one game away from elimination.

While pitching match-ups are rather popular these days, it’s always a good idea to do a little homework before utilizing them just for the sake of utilizing them. While there seems to be no defense in pitching to smoking hot Cardinals third baseman Matt Carpenter (other than not throwing his strikes), a quick check of Baseball-Reference.com reveals that left-handed hitting Jon Jay led all of baseball with his .375 batting average against left-handed pitching, as compared to .283 against right-handers. And while I’m no MLB manager, here’s what a guy who was a MLB manager Tweeted about Mattingly’s decision to bring in Howell to pitch to Jon Jay:

It’s pretty easy to figure out who Kennedy meant by “anybody,” but as an employee of the Dodgers it’s certainly understandable why he didn’t name names.

And here’s what beloved longtime Dodgers broadcaster Ross Porter Tweeted this about the Dodgers bullpen:

Porter’s Tweet brings up yet another burning question, one that will apparently remain unanswered by Mattingly – If Dodgers number four starter Dan Haren was on stand-by in the event that Ryu ran into any trouble, why wasn’t Haren brought in to replace Ryu in the seventh inning and allowed to pitch two innings and then hand the ball to Kenley Jansen instead of relying on a bullpen that is frequently referred to as a “dumpster fire” by the media? Granted, Haren is a career starter and not a reliever but under the current circumstances it’s hard to believe that he would do any worse that anyone else in the Dodgers bullpen – Jansen notwithstanding.

With their backs to the wall and on the brink of elimination the Dodgers will hand the ball to the one guy that every Dodger fan wants to see on the mound later today – soon-to-be 2014 NL Cy Young Award winner Clayton Kershaw. The obvious hurdle for Kershaw is that he needs to go at least eight innings for the Dodgers to have any chance of winning. Should he do so, Zack Greinke will have to do the same thing on Thursday – should the Dodgers make it that far, that is.