Hours before he had to make the pivotal decision in a tense, careening ninth inning Sunday around which an entire series could turn, Mike Shildt described how he, and other modern managers, choose moves that pit numbers vs. nuance.
The analytics saturating the game are “a reference point,” the Cardinals manager said, but “don’t paint the whole picture because humans are involved.”
When he considers a strategy he does so with data on his mind — and a pulse. That is what he took Sunday in the ninth inning as he, pitcher Carlos Martinez and catcher Yadier Molina opted to walk Atlanta’s Brian McCann to face Dansby Swanson while clinging to a 1-0 lead.