Nationals' Williams on using Thornton, Barrett over Clippard, Storen: 'Those are our seventh inning guys'

With the Washington Nationals' season on the line in San Francisco on Tuesday night, manager Matt Williams managed like it was, well, any other game. 

In a 2-2 game in the bottom of the seventh inning, Williams put the fate of his team in the hands of left-handed reliever Matt Thornton and right-handed Aaron Barrett, who, to Williams' credit, had impressive regular seasons. 

But this was no regular season game. And Drew Storen, Tyler Clippard, and Stephen Strasburg - available in relief in an emergency - watched from the bullpen as it all fell apart, the Nationals losing 3-2, and the series 3-1, their National League East-winning season coming to another premature end. 

Here's Williams explaining his decisions after the game:

When asked about why he didn't go with Strasburg, Williams was almost philosophical.

"It's irrelevant. It doesn't matter," he said.  

Much like the Nationals' 96 regular-season wins, right? 

It was a tough series for Williams, whose decision to pull Jordan Zimmermann in Game 2, with the starter one out away from a shutout and leading 1-0, and at exactly 100 pitches, was roundly questioned and criticized. The Nationals would go on to lose in 18 innings, falling into a 2-0 series hole they weren't able to crawl out of. 

Williams can take solace in the fact he wasn't the only manager making curious decisions Tuesday with his team's back up against the wall: 

Managers: Can't live with 'em, can't live without 'em.