Hargrove Leaves Question Marks

Let the Mike Hargrove-bashing begin. Again.

The Cleveland manager was heavily criticized--and rightly so--for several division series moves, most notably sticking with relievers Jaret Wright and Ricardo Rincon too long in Game 3 and starting Bartolo Colon on three days of rest in Game 4, and Hargrove critics will have a field day with his Game 5 decisions.

Walking Nomar Garciaparra to load the bases for Troy O’Leary in the third inning was understandable, but after the left-handed hitting O’Leary hit a grand slam, how could Hargrove not even have the left-handed Rincon warming up when he used the exact same strategy in the seventh, when he walked Garciaparra with a runner on second to pitch to O’Leary again?

Hargrove stuck with right-hander Paul Shuey, O’Leary hit a game-winning home run, and Hargrove, if he lasts as Indian manager, will have all winter to ponder that one.

More questionable moves by Hargrove: After replacing injured starter Dave Burba with a 1-0 lead in Game 3, a shaky Wright gave up two runs in the fifth and one in the sixth, yet remained in the game in the seventh, which he opened by walking Lou Merloni and hitting Jason Varitek with a pitch, the beginnings of Boston’s six-run rally. Later in the inning, Hargrove left Rincon in to face right-handed hitting John Valentin, who laced a tie-breaking, two-run double to left. Why didn’t Hargrove summon Shuey, his best right-handed setup man, or veteran Steve Reed to face Valentin in a tie game with the Indians leading the series, 2-0?

Because neither was warming up. The only right-hander throwing in the seventh was rookie Sean DePaula. “I didn’t want to bring the kid in there with the bases loaded,” Hargrove said.

Then why was he on the Indians’ playoff roster?

“If I had to second-guess one move it would be not having another reliever up besides DePaula to face Valentin in Game 3,” Hargrove admitted. “When people say I managed for tomorrow instead of today, they’re right, but they have to realize, I decided I had two shots to win, with Colon and Nagy [in Game 5], and I thought they gave us our best chance.”

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A lengthy pregame injury list for the Indians grew longer in the fourth inning Monday night when center fielder Kenny Lofton dislocated his left shoulder diving into first base on a grounder to first and had to leave the game. . . . Left fielder David Justice couldn’t start because of a stiff neck.