why have your young starter, who you hope is going to be super good and club controlled, throw 114 losing by three? just trying to get his tommy john's out of the way sooner rather than later?
I think in yesterday's situation there was very little risk. Ventura obviously wasn't laboring (he was still throwing upper 90s after 100 pitches), he only threw 88 pitches on Tuesday, and he's had enough short starts early that the cumulative effect of throwing too many pitches just isn't there yet. I think its good that he's getting into a groove of stretching into over 90 pitches and going at least 6 innings in 5 of his last 6 starts. IMHO there is very little reason to worry about Ventura very much anymore.
it's not ventura specific. it's all pitchers, and especially younger pitchers. there's a significant difference in injury rate between pitchers throwing 2000 pitches/season and pitchers that throw 3000. you don't want to be a situation late in the year where you feel you need to be running out a guy that has already been overthrown.
so you don't let your valuable young pitchers throw pitches late in games down three in may. let guys that mean less to the organization throw those low value pitches.
