The Philadelphia Phillies went into Game 6 of the NCLS just one win away from the World Series. It was Aaron Nola's job to set the tone on the mound that would get them there.
Except Nola's tone was off. The Philies starter gave up back-to-back bombs to start the second inning and went on to concede another run before getting out.
Despite that rough inning for his starting pitcher, manager Rob Thomson decided to stick with Nola in the third and then the fourth and, surprisingly, the fifth.
The game was still relatively close at 3-1 when Nola came back out for the fifth to face the top of the order. And it didn't go well. Nola gave up an RBI single to Ketel Marte before he was finally yanked for Michael Lorenzen.
Fortunately for the Phillies, Lorenzen got out of the inning without letting Marte score from third. Philadelphia trailed 4-1 and fans were not at all happy with their manager or his pitching decisions, some in NSFW fashion.
Phillies fans take Rob Thomson to task for leaving Aaron Nola in
Thomson's decision to keep Nola in was certainly questionable. He could have been pulled after conceding the single to Corbin Carroll.
The plus for Thomson was Lorenzen, who got the outs he needed in the top of the fifth then came back for the sixth inning and quickly took care of business.
The toughest part of management might be figuring out when to trust a pitcher and when to have a short leash. Managers have to put their faith in the guys they put on the mound but they bear the blame if things go wrong. That's the way it goes.
If the Diamondbacks hold onto their lead in Game 6, the NLCS will continue with a Game 7 on Tuesday. The Phillies are looking to go back to the World Series to exorcise their demons from last year's loss to the Astros. The Diamondbacks are looking to make it to the biggest stage for the first time since they won it all in 2001.
