Let’s set the stage.
It’s the bottom of the eighth inning in a one-run game. Matt Barnes comes into the game and records a quick out, then walks a batter bringing Milwaukee Brewers professional masher Eric Thames to the plate. Now, conventional wisdom would direct most managers to ride their set-up man in this situation, however, John Farrell made a bigger and better decision.
Instead of rolling the dice and allowing Barnes to face Thames in what was at the time, the biggest moment of the game, Farrell called on shutdown closer Craig Kimbrel to get the Red Sox out of the inning.