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NLCS Roundtable: What Is the Earliest Inning Josh Hader Will Enter a Game?

Josh Hader has become arguably the most feared reliever in Major League Baseball, so what is the right time for him to enter a high-stakes game? How many innings will he pitch over the course of the series? The SI MLB staff discusses.

Tom Verducci: First rule: don’t save him for late because the right spot might not come up. Craig Counsell has been very good at avoiding those passive massives.

Second rule: look to Andrew Miller as a guide. Hader should throw eight to nine innings in a seven-game series. Miller won the 2016 ALCS MVP with just 7 2/3 innings against.