[mudder_35]

After grinding all year long, I finally built a team that could compete at a high level and made the Diamond League World Series. My team won 108 games and had the best record in my league, that's not really relevant to the issue, but I didn't just fluke my way into the WS. I lost the series 4-1 and I have no illusions that I was somehow destined or entitled to win the series so this isn't a result based gripe. In two of the five games, my scheduled starting pitcher was not used. I went to a four man rotation and in games 1, 3 and 4 everything went as expected. However, in game 2 my 4th starter didn't pitch despite being the only fully rested starter and designated to start. Instead, my long reliever started the game. I thought this was obviously odd, but weird stuff happens sometimes so I shrugged it off. But then in game 5 with my ace (Pedro) scheduled to start at full rest, my team instead inexplicably started my 8th inning setup guy who also pitched the day before (and walked in the winning run in the 12th... but that is me whining). Why did my team suddenly go wild card on me? Is there a rational explanation for this that I'm missing? Has anything like this happened to anyone else?