5 players the Cardinals should have trusted more against the Phillies

Cardinals’ Giovanny Gallegos should have been trusted to finish the 8th inning

Cardinals reliever Giovanny Gallegos pitched the seventh inning and got one out in the eighth inning of Friday’s game one match with the Phillies.

Gallegos was strong through 1.1 innings of work, giving up a walk and striking out one. He should have been given the trust to finish out that inning. Instead, the Cardinals brought in Ryan Helsley in hopes he could get the final five outs of the game.

And why not? He’d been effective but suffered a jammed finger in the next to last game of the season, preventing him from pitching in the final regular season home game. Plus, he was never as effective throughout the season when asked to go over an inning of work.

Helsley started the ninth by striking out Rhys Hoskins. J.T. Realmuto singled to left field. This hit was followed up by a mound visit, where it was learned he had some lingering effects from the jammed finger suffered earlier in the week. Helsley then walked Bryce Harper. Helsley has revisited. It could be determined that this was a way to buy some time to get someone ready in either Jack Flaherty or Andre Pallante.

Helsley then walk Castellanos. And then, Alec Bohm was hit by a Helsley pitch, allowing Realmuto to score. Edmundo Sosa was brought in to replace Bohm, and Pallante was brought in to pitch.

Pallante, a rookie who had been huge for the Cardinals throughout the season, was put in a terrible situation and plated five runs before getting the final two outs of the ninth.

Expecting Helsley to get the final five outs of the game was terrible, given the jammed finger. It’s not been clear if Helsley was possibly dishonest about how he was feeling so the team would have no fear of using him. But as soon as he gave up the single to Realmuto and he was visited on the mound, a better attempt should have been given to getting someone ready.

The situation may have been avoided altogether by allowing Gallegos to finish out the eighth inning.