After treating their manager like the ugly sister of the girl they really wanted to date, the Washington Nationals have won the hand of star manager Davey Johnson. Good for them. Today, Johnson lost them a chance to win a game by employing a sliver of conventional wisdom that is neither.
Tied 8-8 in the bottom of the ninth, Johnson overlooked closer Drew Storen in favor of rookie Ryan Mattheus and his 15 innings of experience. The Braves promptly scored the winning run.
Brave announcers took it as a given that Storen would be held back for -- let's say it together -- a save situation. Isn't it clear to a smart tactician like Johnson that that makes no sense? If you can't use your closer with the game on the line in the bottom of the ninth, what's he for?
Now, Mattheus appears to be no stiff. Even giving up the run, his ERA stands at 1.72, albeit in a career covering 47 outs. And Storen was no guarantee. But "saving" your closer so he can add to his stats, at the expense of a win, is such a dumb move that even the least savvy manager should know better.
If giving up a run right now costs you the game, your best reliever should be on the mound. How hard is that to comprehend?
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