Gabe Kapler explains his ninth inning bullpen use. It’s a great example of a manager putting his pitchers in situations where they can succeed. Edubray Ramos got the first two outs of the ninth inning, with the Phillies up 4-1. The embattled closer Hector Neris came in for the final out.

“We know Ramos’ slider is very effective against righthanded hitters — it’s been true for over a year — so we give him that opportunity. That creates confidence,” Kapler said. “He’s going to walk out of there feeling like a million bucks. Guess who else is going to feel like a million bucks? Hector Neris. He just got a huge out for us.

“One of the ways we can instill confidence is by matching up our guys effectively.”

Today it worked well.