MLB Rankings: Greatest Hits in Week-22
2. Starlin Castro, 53 percent
As previously noted, Anthony Rendon’s single gave Washington a 7-6 victory over Miami Friday night. But it was hardly a straight-line outcome, and until Rendon’s hit it looked like Miami would probably hold on to win.
The Nationals took an early 3-1 lead and still led 5-4 entering the top of the ninth. Daniel Hudson was the choice of Nationals manager Dave Martinez to navigate the ninth, a requirement that has mystified Washington pitchers much of this season.
Since being acquired from Toronto, Hudson has been an alternative finisher for the Nats, working in 15 games and concluding eight of them, with one save. Friday night, he replaced Fernando Rodney, who had worked a perfect eighth inning, fanning two of the three Marlins he faced.
Martinez’s decision to lift Rodney for Hudson quickly turned into a game of bullpen roulette. The first Marlins batter, Harold Ramirez, reached on an infield single to third. The second, veteran Starlin Castro, turned around a Hudson pitch for a long home run over the center-field wall. In just a half dozen pitches, that one-run lead had evaporated..
Fortunately for the Nationals, they had an at-bat left and – as previously noted – Rendon made the most of it.