Yeah I'm not saying that they are coming into the dugout and telling him what to do. But they are saying that, you have a lefty reliever in the pen, you have a left handed hitter up, we don't care if the starting pitcher is throwing a shutout on only 68 pitches we expect you to put the lefty vs lefty matchup everytime, it doesn't matter that the starter has gotten that lefty out twice already.
The other night Mahle was pulled after 83 pitches, he has thrown over 100 pitches 10 times this season and with a high of 119 in a 5 -3 complete game. So I get it when you can bring in a guy like Duran or Lopez. But when you have to use them every night against the same team they are going to probably get hit. So if Mahle goes 1 more inning and they bring in Fulmer in the 8th and Duran in the 9th they still win 4 - 0 probably. Then last night if Bundy goes at least one more, maybe two. Then Theilbar, Jax and Lopez closes it. Duran and Lopez don't get over exposed.
People always say the bullpen is getting overused, the actual pitchers arent really throwing too many innings, it's just that, to me, they are throwing too many times against the same teams in a row. These MLB hitters are good and if they see you one day and then get to see you again tomorrow their odds go up. JMO