Nationals Starting Anibal Sanchez in Game 3 Over Max Scherzer is Unnecessarily Cute

The Washington Nationals have to be happy with their situation right now. After dropping Game 1 of the NLDS in abysmal fashion, they managed to flip the script and steal a game from the Dodgers on the road, giving them a chance to clinch the series without having to head back to Los Angeles.

But they might be throwing that chance away by starting Anibal Sanchez in Game 3 over Max Scherzer, just for the sake of...doing things?

This isn't to say that Sanchez isn't capable of turning in a strong start for Dave Martinez's squad, but there's simply no denying that Washington's odds would be far better with Scherzer on the mound, even acknowledging the fact that he already appeared in relief in this series.

The man is in the running for his fourth Cy Young award and is one of the best pitchers in all of baseball. His eighth-inning performance against the Dodgers in Game 2 was downright incredible. There's no point in over-analyzing the situation and opting for Sanchez when the obvious choice is Scherzer. Why wait for Game 4 to start your superstar, hoping you can gut out a victory without him? You just cannot assume wins.

Starting Sanchez is a massive gamble. Sure, he could help the team pull out a win, but he could also struggle and send them into a 2-1 series hole that would require the Nationals to win back-to-back elimination games, one of which would be on the road.

Sanchez finished the year with a less than ideal 4.71 FIP against the Dodgers, with two home runs and three walks allowed in just 11.1 innings of work. Those numbers don't inspire confidence heading into a critical tilt game.

It's a risk that just doesn't need to be taken. If it pays off, then that's fantastic for the Nationals. But if it doesn't, then it will only be their own fault.

Dave Martinez was impressively gutsy in Game 2. This might be a bridge too far.