Tuesday night offered us another window into Gabe Kapler’s in-game managerial philosophy. It was the seventh inning, and J.P. Crawford had just given the Phillies a 2-1 lead with a two-out single through the right side of the infield that scored Nick Williams from third. That left a runner on first base with the pitcher’s spot due up, leaving Kapler with the choice of pinch-hitting in pursuit of another run, or letting Aaron Nola bat and then sending him back out to the mound for the eighth.
Nola had thrown 88 pitches, low enough to go back out for the eighth, but high enough that he almost certainly wasn’t going to pitch the complete game.