It’s hard to understand the pitching moves the Sixers have made in the sweep at Lake Elsinore that ended Friday.

Whatever they are, they haven’t worked.

In Game 1, they brought in closer Matt Sartor to pitch the ninth, protecting a 7-6 lead. Sartor gave up two runs, as the Sixers lost 8-7 on Jesus Lopez’s sacrifice fly.

In Game 2, seldom-used Robert Boothe needs to get his work in, but protecting a 3-1 lead in the seventh? But after Boothe allowed four in the seventh and the Sixers fall behind 5-3, wasn’t it time to pull the plug on Boothe while the game was still close? The Sixers didn’t and Boothe allowed four more in the eighth in a 9-3 loss.

In Game 3, left-hander Miguel Sanfler came with a 3-2 lead and two on and no outs in the eighth. He pitched out of that jam. Instead of turning to Sartor for the ninth, the Sixers stuck with Sanfler. With two outs and runners on first and second, the right-handed Sartor was warming up. But manager Jeff Carter chose to stick with lefty Sanfler to face right-handed Lopez. Lopez delivered the game-tying single.

Then, having already pitched two full innings, Sanfler came out for the 10th and allowed a leadoff double to Adam Zornes off the wall in left-center that let to Bo Davis’ walk-off single to left with one out.

You don’t want to overwork the bullpen, to be sure. But surely there were other options out there than what Carter chose.