Analytics only partially explains #RaysUp Cash's blunder in removing Blake Snell in game 6. You have your ace cruising and dominating in a #WorldSeries , 73 pitches through 5.1 IP having given up just 2 hits, 0 walks, while striking out 9... (thread)

Kevin Cash justified the decision by saying he didn't want Snell facing the vaunted #Dodgers lineup a 3rd time regardless of the fact that the top - Betts / Seager / Turner - were 0-6 w/ 6 K's the first two times through. At some point, you need the intuition to ride your ace.

Cash going to Nick Anderson defies any data driven decision making, though. Yes, he was elite in the regular season, but look at his use:
August - 7.2 IP, 112 pitches
September - 7.0 IP, 103 pitches
October - 14.2 IP, 202 pitches

Overworked? Maybe not at first glance...

But Cash hadn't conditioned Anderson to do this. So in October, he fatigued him AND went to him repeatedly in high stress situations. He gave up just 1 ER in 16.1 IP in the regular season, striking out 26 of the 58 batters he faced. He was elite with a ton of rest.

His highest pitch count in the regular season was 22 on 9/4. He got a WEEK off before appearing again 9/12. He threw 29 pitches in 1st game of the postseason & threw again the following day. In 2 appearances vs the Yankees, Anderson threw 22 & 32 pitches. He was toast.

Of the 36 batters he faced after the #ALDS, Anderson struck out just 3 of them. He faced 21 batters in the #ALCS vs the Astros and struck out ZERO. He gave up 8 ER in his last 7 postseason appearances. If Cash and the #RaysUp organization is so extremely analytically inclined...

Nick Anderson should've been shelved on the 'do not touch' list. Kevin Cash did the opposite instead of having the intuition to stick w/ their Cy Young winning ace Blake Snell, & potentially cost the #RaysUp the #WorldSeries

How was this not clear to them?

The end. /thread