Every postseason, we see the same stats crawl across the bottom of the television screen citing a player’s past experience in the playoffs, showing whether he holds the clutch gene or if he’s labeled a choker.
That pressure can weigh on a mind, but for Liam Hendriks, it’s much simpler: “Don’t walk the leadoff guy.”
Hendriks was the Athletics’ opener in last year’s AL wild card game, walking Yankees left fielder Andrew McCutchen before serving up a home run to new-age Bronx Bomber Aaron Judge.