Clichés generally should be avoided. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t some truth behind them, which brings us to Monday’s Braves-Nationals game and a questionable decision by Nats manager Jim Riggleman.
They say you should play the percentages. They also say you play to win the game — well, at least Herman Edwards says that. Riggleman opted against conventional wisdom on both counts when he allowed Stephen Strasburg to bat with two outs and a man on third in the seventh inning of a scoreless game. Riggleman had Adam Kennedy (and his .276 lifetime batting average) in the on deck circle when he decided to let Strasburg (1-for-8 in his big league career) hit for himself. Strasburg grounded out.
The Nats have scored one run in Strasburg’s last three starts. Sure, his pitch count was low … and he had struck out five of six batters faced in the fifth and sixth innings … and the bullpen has been shaky lately. But you don’t let the pitcher hit in that situation. You play for the run and the lead. You play the percentages.
You play to win the game.
