Not saying this is why he came out, but it's hard not to think it had something to do with it.
Yeah, Maybe, But that happened 4 1/3 innings earlier...
That being said I just want to rant here for a second...
It really bothers me that in the past 15-20 years or so baseball has designated "closers" and started to micro manage pitching. Playing match-ups based solely on who is a lefty or who is a righty just doesn't make sense, Which is probably why they didn't do it in baseball, for the most part, for over a hundred years. IMO it makes absolutely no sense to use three different relievers in one inning to retire three separate batters.
Time and again I watch managers pull perfectly good starters out of games for a matchup just to see it blow up in their face. You mean to tell me that a quality starter after 7 innings is less efficient than some bum out of the bullpen who is fresh? Give me Roger Clemens (jerk), Nolan Ryan or Joe Niekro after pitching 8 innings any day of the week over a mariano rivera. Whoopie, he is quality for 6 outs,
at best!
Hell, Washington is pussy-footing around Strausburg in order to "keep his arm fresh" and "build arm strength" - Yeah, That seems to be working out. Tommy John surgery at Age 20. lol.
Anyway, Rant over... lol. (That wasn't directed at you NJ, Just wanted to vent)