When managers use relief pitchers, they tend to go with matchups. A lefty up at the plate signals that a LHP should be brought into the game and the same for righties. If this is the best usage of a team's relief pitchers, then why isn't this situational usage continued into the ninth inning? For example, the Reds had Mike Stanton and David Weathers warming up in the eighth, but Aaron Harang was able to finish the inning. Since Harang had thrown 113 pitches, Pete Mackanin brought in Weathers to start the ninth. With Stephen Drew, Chris Young, and Jeff Salazar due up, why didn't Stanton get brought in for the save since Drew and Salazar are left-handed?

While I'm not convinced that situational usage is the best use of a team's bullpen (and their roster spots due to more relievers being needed for this use pattern), I wonder why a manager thinks it is smart to adhere to situational matchups in the middle innings but not the ninth. It doesn't seem like any logical thought has actually been applied to this by a manager.

P.S. I'm watching the Reds-Diamondbacks on DVR, so I actually wrote this before seeing Weathers blow the save.

Later on in the bottom of the tenth, the Reds had runners on first and second with no outs and Brandon Phillips up in a tie game. On the first two pitches, he was bunting. Why in the world would a cleanup hitter be bunting in that situation? A base hit wins the game, and you've got three chances to get that hit. Why would you give up one of those at-bats to get runners on first and second with one out? Sure, it gives you the chance to hit a sacrifice fly to win the game, but which of the following situations would you choose:

1. Three chances at a base hit to win the game.

2. One chance at a base hit or sac fly and an additional chance at a base hit.

I'd take the first choice 100 times out of a 100.