Why Dusty Baker Left Zack Greinke In During Game 4 Sixth-Inning Jam

You could’ve forgiven Dusty Baker if he had decided it wasn’t worth it to leave Zack Greinke in during the sixth inning of Wednesday’s game.

The 36-year-old pitcher had pitched well most of the night against the Tampa Bay Rays in Game 4 of the American League Championship series, but got into trouble in the sixth. And with the Astros trailing 3-0 in the best-of-seven series, one wrong decision could prove to be ill-fated.

Greinke was tasked with protecting a 4-2 lead in the sixth, and he had two runners on and one out when budding Rays star Randy Arozarena, who already had taken him deep in the game, stepped in. Baker called a mound visit but made the somewhat shocking decision to leave Greinke in, despite having two relievers hot.

The end result was Greinke striking out Arozarena before two batters later punching out Mike Brosseau with the bases loaded to escape the jam.

Houston ended up winning 4-3 to live for another day.

“My plan was to take him out, but I wasn’t really convinced of my plan,” Baker said after the game, via ESPN. “Sometimes you look in the guy’s eyes, sometimes you listen to the catcher, and you do what you gotta do. …

“I don’t know (why I left him in). Sometimes they work, and sometimes they don’t.”

Greinke clearly was happy about Baker’s decision to the point that he chirped A.J. Hinch after the game for doing the exact same thing a year prior.