3 takeaways from the Philadelphia Phillies 3-0 win over the Nationals

2 of 4

PHILADELPHIA, PA – SEPTEMBER 02: Neil Walker #12 of the Philadelphia Phillies hits a two RBI single in the bottom of the fourth inning against the Washington Nationals at Citizens Bank Park on September 2, 2020 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Phillies defeated the Nationals 3-0. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) /

Joe Girardi is playing chess, not checkers.

Manager Joe Girardi turned a few heads with his lineup decisions prior to the game, opting to bench the scorching hot Hoskins for Walker as previously mentioned. Hoskins has been absolutely teeing off on Nats pitchers recently, and Walker was hitting just .192 heading into Wednesday’s game.

For good reason, it was considered a bit of a controversial move. The main reason it looks like Girardi went with Walker over Hoskins was because Hoskins is a career 1-17 against Scherzer, whereas Walker has experienced decent success against the Nationals’ ace during his own career.

Per usual, Girardi absolutely nailed his decision making, and it proved far more impactful than even he could have predicted. Walker finished the night 3-3 with the two previously mentioned RBIs, and he made some surprisingly solid plays defensively at first base as well.

Nights like these where the Phillies have to give Hoskins, Realmuto, or even Harper a night off are crucial, as the team can’t just simply turn over and concede the loss. The season is simply too short to have “off nights”.

The fact that Girardi could illicit a productive game from one of his bench bats against a pitcher like Scherzer is really a testament to him as a manager, as it took some guts to put Walker in the staring lineup during a crucial matchup.

Home/Philadelphia Phillies