There is perhaps no bigger gamble in baseball than swinging at a 3-0 pitch. It’s the ultimate high-risk, high-reward play, at times producing game-changing hits at crucial moments while at other times stopping potential rallies dead in their tracks.
The Nationals, as a team, like to take that risk. They preach an aggressive approach at the plate, typically giving their hitters the green light to swing away on 3-0 counts, and they’ve enjoyed their share of success when doing it.
Entering Wednesday, Nationals hitters were 7-for-14 with two homers and a double when putting a 3-0 pitch into play.