Rob Thomson Managed an Incredible Ballgame in His World Series Debut

Manager Rob Thomson used his bullpen boldly in Game 1 of the World Series, and the Philadelphia Phillies came away with the win.
Rob Thomson Managed an Incredible Ballgame in His World Series Debut
Rob Thomson Managed an Incredible Ballgame in His World Series Debut /
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J.T. Realmuto was the hero for the Philadelphia Phillies on Friday night, but the true MVP of the game wasn't even a player at all – it was manager Rob Thomson. The man known affectionately as 'Topper' made several high-risk, high-reward pitching decisions to keep the game close, and his daring bullpen management ultimately paid off with a Game 1 victory.

Thomson's first risky decision came when he took Aaron Nola out in the middle of the fifth inning. It was clear Nola didn't have his best stuff, but by removing him so early, Thomson was betting on his bullpen to shut down the Houston Astros lineup for at least 14 more outs.

Then, he made an unusual move when he called for José Alvarado as the first man out of the 'pen. It made perfect sense for Thomson to use his dominant lefty reliever against Yordan Alvarez, Alex Bregman, and Kyle Tucker, but to do so in the fifth and sixth innings was unconventional, to say the least. Typically, a pitcher of Alvarado's caliber doesn't enter the game until the seventh, eighth, or ninth. The Phillies would still have to face the middle of the Astros' order one or two more times before the game was done.

And that brings us to Thomson's next risky maneuver – using Ranger Suárez in relief. Suárez has been a starter all season, and he is still slated to start Game 3 on Monday. But Thomson decided the lefty starter was his best option against the powerful Alvarez, Bregman, and Tucker. Thus, he called upon 27-year-old Venezuelan in the bottom of the seventh. 

Once again, the daring decision paid off, but that introduced a whole new problem: what if the Phillies lost? Thomson's aggressive bullpen management was working. The Astros failed to score from the fourth inning onward. But if Philadelphia couldn't get another run on the board, all of Thomson's bullpen moves would be for naught. 

Eventually, the manager was going to have to turn to one of his less trustworthy relievers, and if Houston won the ballgame, Thomson would have burdened all his best bullpen arms – and his Game 3 starter – for nothing. As the game went on, it looked more and more like a must-win for the Phillies..

Houston Astros manager Dusty Baker (12) and Philadelphia Phillies manager Rob Thomson (59) exchange lineup cards before game one of the 2022 World Series
Houston Astros manager Dusty Baker (12) and Philadelphia Phillies manager Rob Thomson (59) exchange lineup cards before game one of the 2022 World Series / © Thomas Shea-USA TODAY Sports

Fortunately, win they did. Realmuto hit a tenth-inning solo home run, and Philadelphia earned a 6-5 victory. Had Thomson been less deliberate with his bullpen decisions, however, Realmuto might never have gotten that chance. The risky moves paid off – big time. 

Rob Thomson was audacious with his bullpen management on Friday night. A lesser manager might not have been so brave. But it turned out to be exactly what his team needed. After all, contingency plans don't win World Series. It's time for the Phillies to go big, and no one understands that better than the man at the helm.

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Leo Morgenstern
LEO MORGENSTERN

Leo Morgenstern is a writer and editor for Inside the Phillies. He also writes for FanGraphs and Just Baseball, and his work has appeared on Pitcher List and Baseball Prospectus. He previously covered the Phillies for SB Nation's The Good Phight. You can follow him on Twitter @morgensternmlb.