Stanford defeated Texas yesterday to force Game 3 of the Super Regional. But the Cardinals’ manager is taking some heat for a controversial decision with his pitcher.
Senior pitcher Quinn Matthews pitched all nine innings for the Cardinals yesterday, forcing 16 strikeouts while giving up just eight hits and three earned runs. But it took him a whopping 156 pitches to get the job done.
Fans didn’t like seeing Matthews throw that much due to the damage it could cause to his arm. As a result, a lot are taking aim at Stanford head coach David Esquer and his coaching staff.
The coach should be in prison https://t.co/zbQyhgOnfG
— Chris Castellani (@Castellani2014) June 12, 2023
Well that’s not okay at ALL https://t.co/v1PsZCHb29
— Aubree ✨ISO Cincy n2 7/1✨ (@____Aubree____) June 12, 2023
Bruhs UCL falling off the bone this morning https://t.co/TCNaRSnk5v
— John E. Depth (@JeffEppsJr) June 12, 2023
Bad look for these coaches https://t.co/ZOdZBBUyza
— Austin Harvey ✭ (@AustinHarvey24) June 12, 2023
Quinn Matthews is in his final year at Stanford after being drafted by the Tampa Bay Rays in the 2022 MLB Draft. He did not sign with Tampa Bay but likely has a professional career ahead of him.
Chances are Matthews wouldn’t have stayed out on the mound that long if he was concerned that he couldn’t hold up, but throwing that many pitches in a single outing at such a young age is risky.
Hopefully the risk was worth it for him.