Torey Lovullo Explains Curious Move From Monday Night's Game

During Monday night's game against the Cincinnati Reds, Torey Lovullo made what seemed like a curious decision in the bottom of the 7th inning.

Right hander Fernando Cruz was pitching with two outs and the bases loaded and one run already in. The D-backs were leading 4-3 at the time. Right-hand batter Randal Grichuk, who had come into the game earlier in place of Pavin Smith, was due up. Rather than pinch hit with left-hand batter Jake McCarthy, Lovullo let Grichuk hit.

Grichuk just got under a four seam fastball at the top of the zone, launching a high fly ball with 96 MPH exit velocity but 36 degree launch angle. It was a hard struck ball but ended up as a fly out 355 feet to medium center field for the last out of the inning.

At the time it seemed strange that Lovullo held McCarthy back from pinch hitting and went with the right-on-right matchup. Perhaps he had a short bench and didn't want to waste a player? Maybe McCarthy had some unreported injury? What could have been the reason for this confounding decision?

Compounding the confusion over the decision, McCarthy ran out to right field as a defensive replacement for Grichuk for the top of the 8th. That put to bed any thoughts of a short bench being a consideration.

So what could the manager possibly have been thinking? As is often the case, when asked about it, Lovullo offered a solid baseball reason that none in the media had thought about. But not before making a joke about it.

"Yeah, crazy isn't it... I don't know why," Lovullo deadpanned (Much laughter throughout the room). He continued. "I do know why. I just saw the way that the split was working and he handled [left-hand batters] Marte and Pederson real easy. So I just thought that split was working, I wanted to take it away from him and put a right-handed batter out there."

"We've got some advance intelligence. When something is working you stay away from it and with that particular pitcher, and you force him to do something else. It favored a right-handed hitter."

This was a case where the manager took his experience and all of the information at his disposal, and synthesized it quickly in the fast-paced world of a major league dugout to make one of the dozens of decisions he'll make every game.

Was it the right decision? It's difficult to say. Based purely on results, Lovullo did not get the outcome he had hoped for. But judging each and every decision singularly by outcomes in a baseball game is a rabbit hole that can be difficult to dig out of. Especially for those of us on the outside looking who don't have the same experience and access to information as a major league manager.