Ex-Blue Jays star rips John Schneider’s decision to pull Shane Bieber

This Blue Jays legend has a bone to pick with John Schneider.

Former Toronto outfielder Vernon Wells did not agree with the manager’s call to lift starter Shane Bieber in Game 3 of the ALDS after just 2 ⅔ innings and 54 pitches ahead of Wednesday’s bullpen game.

The Blue Jays’ bullpen allowed six runs in 5 ⅓ innings while blowing a three-run lead in the 9-6 loss to the Yankees at Yankee Stadium.

“You don’t take Shane out with 53 pitches with Game 4 being a bullpen game,” Wells tweeted Tuesday night.

After grabbing Games 1 and 2 in Toronto, the Blue Jays hit the road with plans to start the veteran Bieber in Game 3 and turn to Johnny WholeStaff for a bullpen game Thursday in a Game 4, if needed.

Toronto left starters Max Scherzer and Chris Bassitt off its postseason roster despite knowing that it left the team perhaps needing to cobble together innings in Game 4.

It seemed like Game 4 may not be needed after Toronto claimed a 6-1 lead in the third inning, but the Yankees used three hits and a sacrifice fly to cut the lead to 6-3.

After Bieber walked Jazz Chisholm Jr. to put two on with two outs, Schneider opted to go to his pen and lefty reliever mason Fluharty struck out pinch-hitting righty Amed Rosario.

While Wells is fair to question pulling Bieber at this point, it’s also fair to note that Schneider would not have needed to worry about a Game 4 if the bullpen held a three-run lead.

Bieber had already surrendered five hits and walked one, and Giancarlo Stanton just missed a two-run homer that inning that would have made it a one-run game.

Like Alex Cora in Game 2 of the wild-card series, Schneider went for the knockout blow to end the series rather than worry about the next-day effect.

“It’s a tough decision obviously. I thought he was throwing the ball fairly well. I thought his secondary stuff was really good in the second inning,” Schneider said. “Then just looked like he was having a little bit of trouble missing bats. Then you kind of get into pitches that inning and things like that.

“Again, you’re trying to just do what you can, what you think is best to win the game right now. I get how it looks with the bullpen game tomorrow and all that kind of stuff. Man, these guys are going to be ready to go.”

Toronto’s bullpen ultimately faltered, with Aaron Judge’s game-tying three-run blast off Louis Varland in the fourth fueling the Yankees’ rally.

Now, a beleaguered bullpen will hope for a better result to avoid heading back to Toronto for a Game 5 on Friday night.

“Again … you’re trying to take chances to win today, and it didn’t work out,” Schneider said. “Everyone is available tomorrow. Everyone is available, just not exactly sure who’s going to start yet.”