One of the reasons you can't count out the Tampa Rays, besides a balanced lineup, solid defense and deep pitching, is their manager Joe Maddon. He's one of the best on the planet.
The Rays are hosting Boston as I write this, nursing a 2-0 lead with two outs in the fifth. Right-handed starter Jeremy Hellickson has walked a tightrope through 14 outs, allowing five hits and two walks over 96 pitches.
If Hellickson retires Dustin Pedroia, his evening is complete and the scorekeepers can credit him with a win, as long as the Rays maintain their lead.
Instead, Pedroia rips a single up the middle, bringing up David Ortiz with a tiring Hellickson on the hill. Maddon doesn't like that matchup and he yanks his young starter in favor of a fresh southpaw.
Think about that. Hellickson had pitched a shutout and was one out from earning a win. Joe Maddon didn't care. Winning the game is more important.
The results are irrelevant. The best decisions only offer a better chance of winning, not certainty. In fact, Ortiz turned around a Jeff Beliveau heater -- right into the mitt of first baseman James Loney. The screaming liner ended the Red Sox' threat.
Hellickson won't get the win. Big whoop. The Rays will, or at least are in better position to. That would put them within three games of the Yankees and Blue Jays in the Wild Card race. And that's the statistic that matters.
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