While watching Nationals right-hander Stephen Strasburg pitch at his hometown Petco Park in an 8-5 victory over the Padres on Monday night, a fan couldn’t miss one particular peculiarity. The Nationals weren’t employing an infield shift when Strasburg was on the mound, nor did they do it late in the game with Strasburg out and Washington holding a six-run lead. Even in that inning, the Nationals played the infield at deep depth and didn’t hold runners on first base. The Nationals even gave up a run during the fourth inning, playing the infield at regulation depth with a Padres runner at third base. “When you have great pitchers like Strasburg and Scherzer, there’s really no reason to shift,” Martinez said.

Source: Forbes May 08, 2018 18:18 UTC