Bench Pressures: Lovullo's Tough Calls

Substitution Decision

[{"selector":"#anim-15e03cdd-c622-4993-bf19-f915d5334717","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-cd8cae21-7245-4995-9fe4-d577b232f8e1","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-24ec3879-a085-4991-b676-d492d352de8d","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2300,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-34a70463-853a-4901-8769-223ad8edf6c6","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-1ca72def-67a8-442d-9491-d3893b2519d7","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-5ceea853-e256-4219-a1a2-419857c51ade","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 295.42462%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-75f4338f-6cc1-4a12-a581-d303a5b24d9c [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(31.740892582409362%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] Torey Lovullo substitutes Jace Peterson for Blaze Alexander in the 7th inning of a close game against the Cubs. Image -Getty images

Unproductive At-Bat

[{"selector":"#anim-50f59acf-7071-47ea-afb8-ddc92ee9e0bf","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-8374a1f4-7bcc-42b6-8b9e-b335e81ef153","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 271.89519%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-9e4acc8c-8ec9-473b-97f9-e8e25639d725","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-5022cfee-9dcb-49e8-96f6-143d1bd9887b","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-fbd456c5-2196-4686-9878-5a660d600177","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2300,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-6c97dfd7-352c-4a80-b375-669f7bfeeea5","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-f32f7356-1c0d-46f0-a68d-f59de48aff4e [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] Peterson's at-bat results in an unproductive soft groundball, contributing to a quick inning. Image -Getty images

Season Average Decline

[{"selector":"#anim-4733e167-e3ea-40dd-9b00-ff6019186139 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(37.304687404002955%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-f16c175c-ade1-45bf-b50b-c42ab59133d9","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-eb7470d3-edab-4488-96ed-4f5fad839db9","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-68559699-96a3-4e9f-97c2-9978e65aa0a6","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2300,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-089af3fc-8903-4759-88d8-96e404f23d4d","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-db18a750-ca91-46c3-9711-58898adb7a43","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-64025c53-cbee-431e-b06b-80a7216e4c1e","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 242.48349%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Peterson's season average falls to 1-17 with a .190 on-base percentage. Image -Getty images

Managerial Justification

[{"selector":"#anim-0b9283a7-8f9a-47ed-8063-abc0af2f6fe8 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(34.179687404002955%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-4fc53079-9e99-4573-8c55-a98ec4a1de3a","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-074d246d-e32d-4ea0-b524-18f183fe2fce","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-1aa3124a-cd67-40cd-952a-5a4c339284bc","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2300,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-1d74f4fb-838c-4cb3-ae05-941ae920fd87","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-e766adaf-5545-40a8-869c-702685375707","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-42f0824a-63ab-4d6b-9072-d37ec46a88eb","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 342.48349%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Lovullo defends his decision to give Peterson high-leverage at-bats, aiming to get him going. Image -Getty images

Increased Playing Time

[{"selector":"#anim-fd4c51f7-160f-418d-a6af-75b4ba560628 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(34.179687404002955%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-0cd1188d-0e2c-478e-902b-785ae798545e","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-bd59abb0-6974-4ad3-9334-df20d6b73634","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-588be9bf-a8b4-4ab3-b140-ea2a16ae4b08","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2300,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-184470a2-b392-4bb0-8e32-ef2934aadbae","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-f6457674-4049-4039-a378-998a2ea14000","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 377.77782%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Peterson gets more playing time due to Geraldo Perdomo's injury, despite his struggles at the plate. Image -Getty images Learn more

Tactical Prioritization

[{"selector":"#anim-7ea6f0d7-b9f0-47c7-bf8f-5ec58a20bfcf [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(21.874999829338595%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-a3b3e0ec-d89b-45de-bbc1-4a4bd19a0162","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-d99db056-1779-43b4-9727-bbf1429e95ee","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-d6f5a7c5-7af5-4ec1-8784-0e4c68ebff1a","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2300,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-1cafa760-b813-4039-ad22-b9bf0cc67eb8","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-a2b8d426-0e09-4106-a848-cc7f02858014","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-94a8e329-fa0e-484a-9b71-741e233a2d83","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 313.07179%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Lovullo prioritizes Peterson's left-handed approach over Alexander's better stats against right-handed pitchers. Image -Getty images Learn more