Alex Cora Pitching Masahiro Tanaka 2nd in All-Star Game Makes More Sense Than You Think
By Sean Facey
Alex Cora has a fairly unorthodox managing style. He likes to play the matchup game more than anyone else in baseball, and he turned some heads when he announced he was bringing that to the All-Star Game.
The Red Sox skipper announced that he'd be pitching Masahiro Tanaka second in the All-Star Game, passing over a truly talented arsenal of arms, but it actually makes more sense than you might expect.
AL manager Alex Cora says Lucas Giolito *will not* pitch second, either. Will be NYY Tanaka. #WhiteSox
— Steve Greenberg (@SLGreenberg) July 8, 2019
By pitching him second, Tanaka will have the chance to throw to a familiar face in Gary Sanchez. This, in turn, will allow White Sox All-Star Lucas Giolito to pitch to his own teammate in James McCann once he comes off of the bench.
It's a stellar game plan to keep the two pitchers comfortable as they try to navigate past some of the best hitters in baseball.
"You're an opener," Alex Cora told Justin Verlander.
— Chandler Rome (@Chandler_Rome) July 8, 2019
Masahiro Tanaka will follow Verlander tomorrow.
Personal catchers are something Cora has become accustomed to as manager in Boston. Chris Sale has openly stated that he feels far more comfortable with Sandy Leon, and the lineup reflects that each time he's scheduled to take the hill.
The All-Star Game might not decide anything anymore, but it's still worth winning. This strategy by Cora to keep his pitchers with the backstops they're familiar with is a smart way to give the AL squad an upper hand.