October baseball: managers in no-win situation with critics

Houston manager A.J. Hinch gave Justin Verlander his first career relief appearance Monday, and Verlander yielded a home run to his first batter, Boston rookie Andrew Benintendi.

The Astros lost their lead. Suddenly, Hinch was easy pickings on social media, where everyone with a keyboard manages better than the manager, especially after the fact.

“Hinch is panicking.” “Hinch is out of his mind.” “Hinch is blowing it.”

What’s that? Chris Sale — the Boston lefty who was used in relief by manager John Farrell, presumably calling the shots from the clubhouse after his ejection — charged with two runs in the eighth? Houston takes back the lead? Astros clinch series? Verlander the win? Hey, A.J., never mind.

“Farrell is panicking.” “Farrell is out of his mind.” “Farrell is blowing it.”

Welcome to October baseball, when every manager makes the right moves, until he doesn’t. It’s damned if he does, damned if he doesn’t, damned if he gets through nine innings without being named the scapegoat. For managers, no scrutiny is like postseason scrutiny.

Dusty Baker’s Nationals led 1-0 in the seventh Monday (man on second, one out, Kyle Schwarber coming up) when he pulled Max Scherzer, then watched as lefty Sammy Solis gave up consecutive singles. Tie game. Anthony Rizzo won it for the Cubs with a bloop single in the eighth, and Baker was the easy man to blame even though Scherzer (98 pitches) was coming off a hamstring injury and the Nationals had just three hits — none for the first four batters.

“Baker is panicking.” “Baker is …” You get the idea.

Managers aren’t usually trending this time of year unless their moves backfire. Remember the Orioles’ Buck Showalter and the Giants’ Bruce Bochy last fall? Even the Cubs’ Joe Maddon when he seemed to overmanage Game 7 of the World Series?

It’s not all pitching moves. The Yankees’ Joe Girardi was ripped for failing to ask to review an obvious reversible hit-batter call. After New York blew an 8-3 lead, Girardi said he didn’t want to mess with his pitcher’s rhythm. It was such a lame excuse that Girardi got booed at Yankee Stadium when the series shifted to the Bronx.

The Yankees won Sunday and Monday, taking Girardi off the hook, at least until Wednesday’s Game 5.