Tommy Edman is a switch-hitter.
That exists to always have the platoon advantage. He'll bat left-handed against righty pitchers, and right-handed against lefty pitchers.
Except not this time.
In Game 1 of the World Series, the Toronto Blue Jays started right-handed rookie Trey Yesavage on the mound.
When Edman dug in for the Los Angeles Dodgers, he also batted right-handed. It was a rare, rare choice.
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Why did Tommy Edman hit right-handed against a righty?
Edman was doing it because of one pitch.
Yesavage has a nasty splitter.
It drops off the table and is a swing-and-miss offering.
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Yesavage used the splitter to strike out Shohei Ohtani swinging to start the game.
Edman felt he had a better chance against the splitter hitting righty.
He didn't hit the splitter, but he did make contact in his first at bat and dribbled a grounder to the left side for an infield single. So at least to some extent, the decision worked.
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