Even though Nationals manager Matt Williams is the reigning NL Manager of the Year, it is acceptable for media to start referring to him as "embattled." This is because the Nationals have rather easily been the most disappointing team of 2015. Despite a roster larded with talent, they are, at this writing, 6 1/2 games behind the Mets in the NL East. In related matters, the SportsLine Projection Model as of Wednesday morning gave the Nats just a 9.5 percent chance of making the postseason. So, yes, disappointing indeed.
As it happens, on Tuesday the Nats suffered a rather crippling loss to the Cardinals. Washington led 5-3 in the seventh, but then relievers Drew Storen and Casey Janssen combined to give up five runs in 1 2/3 innings. Here's the killing blow from Brandon Moss ...
Ouch, say the Nationals.
Somewhat predictably, Williams didn't use his closer, Jonathan Papelbon, because -- as the hidebound thinking goes -- you don't use your closer in a tie game on the road. This, of course, is patent nonsense. You don't save your best reliever for a save situation that may never materialize. You don't put him on ice in favor of the demonstrably inferior Janssen, who, it should be noted, gave up four runs on 26 pitches on Monday night. Papelbon, meanwhile, hadn't pitched since Sunday, when he logged all of eight pitches.
In any event, Williams' boss, GM Mike Rizzo, seems just fine with how his manager pulled the levers on Tuesday night. Via Scott Allen of the Washington Post, here's what Rizzo had to say about all of that:
"We’re 55-5 when we have the lead after seven innings, we’re 43-2 when we have a two-run lead after seven innings, so Matt Williams did a masterful job last night, in my mind, putting people in a position to succeed."
Duly noted, but citing season-long records with a late-inning lead is somewhat nonresponsive to the question about Williams' decisions on Tuesday night. Simply put, a team should not blow a late-inning lead without using its fully rested closer. Yes, closers like save situations, but they're major-league ballplayers, not Faberge eggs. Maybe treat them as such, especially when the team in question can't afford another wrenching loss.
