Dodgers manager Don Mattingly, like many baseball coaches, often compliments his starting pitchers for “giving the team a chance” to win.
The implication is subtle but clear. The pitcher is the only player on the field who has the ball on every play. He’s alone out there, with only a catcher putting down fingers and holding up a mitt to guide him through his time on the mound. The pitcher has enough pressure on him – much more than the other players on the field – that he shouldn’t have to pitch like a star every time he’s out there.