[OutsiderFan]

Gabe Kapler isn't perfect, but he hasn't made too many decisions that made not a lot of sense when he made them and then blew up in his face.

Pitching Doval in the second game of the Atlanta series, was a mistake. He had just thrown 19 pitches in the previous night's walk-off loss. The Giants entered the 9th with a 12-8 lead and I get wanting to get him back out there to redeem himself and all that, but Doval gave up two runs and threw 21 pitches in Game 2. This wasn't what Kapler expected, but it was a possibility it could happen and it did. This meant Doval would be out of Game 3, a game the Giants led 3-1 when the Braves batted in B9. Without Doval available, they had to put in Jake McGee who is having a terrible season, and he promptly gave up three runs in 2/3 of an inning to earn the loss. These are the types of games you can't lose in tight playoff races.

Had Kapler put someone else in to finish the 9th with a 4-run lead in Game 2, Doval would have been able to pitch in the 9th of Game 3, with better odds of earning the save than McGee. 

This isn't revisionist history. The Giants' announcers questioned the merits of bringing Doval into Game 2 as soon as they saw he was on the mound in the 9th, thinking it could cost the Giants later in the series. It did, the very next game.

[OutsiderFan]

Gabe Kapler isn't perfect, but he hasn't made too many decisions that made not a lot of sense when he made them and then blew up in his face.

Pitching Doval in the second game of the Atlanta series, was a mistake. He had just thrown 19 pitches in the previous night's walk-off loss. The Giants entered the 9th with a 12-8 lead and I get wanting to get him back out there to redeem himself and all that, but Doval gave up two runs and threw 21 pitches in Game 2. This wasn't what Kapler expected, but it was a possibility it could happen and it did. This meant Doval would be out of Game 3, a game the Giants led 3-1 when the Braves batted in B9. Without Doval available, they had to put in Jake McGee who is having a terrible season, and he promptly gave up three runs in 2/3 of an inning to earn the loss. These are the types of games you can't lose in tight playoff races.

Had Kapler put someone else in to finish the 9th with a 4-run lead in Game 2, Doval would have been able to pitch in the 9th of Game 3, with better odds of earning the save than McGee. 

This isn't revisionist history. The Giants' announcers questioned the merits of bringing Doval into Game 2 as soon as they saw he was on the mound in the 9th, thinking it could cost the Giants later in the series. It did, the very next game.