The difference in the series was Verlander, straight up IMO. I don't understand your problem with how Girardi and other managers pull their starters early in the post season. You keep saying it's not sustainable over 162 games. But we're talking 5 or 7 games, which is profoundly different.
And the reason managers adopt this strategy is because it works. It worked for the Giants, it worked for the Tribe last year (and the Cubs in spite of Maddon) and you could make the case that it worked for the Yanks this post season. I have no problem with a manager pulling a starter out of a playoff game, even if he's tossing a shut out. There are very, very few Bumgarners and Verlanders out there. And if you have Jansen or Chapman instead of Romo and Giles, you might even pull Verlander or Bumgarner in the 9th.
By the 3rd time thorough the order (second in some cases) the edge is beginning to swing back to the hitters, and in a tight game, leaving a guy in even 1 batter too long (Harvey, WS, 2015) is a potential killer.
McCullers had a great series. I'm sure Hinch was very happy and relieved to not have to call on Giles in the 9th with the game on the line. He'll need someone else to step up against the Dodgers.
