WASHINGTON -- Nationals manager Dave Martinez considered it. He did.

Martinez weighed his options after Victor Robles tripled to score the Nats¡¯ first run in the fourth inning on Friday night in Game 3 of the World Series at Nationals Park. Robles¡¯ hit had cut the Astros¡¯ lead to two and had a sellout crowd rocking. Martinez could have sent a pinch-hitter to the plate for right-hander Aníbal Sánchez, but instead he had S¨¢nchez hit for himself. S¨¢nchez struck out on a foul bunt in an eventual 4-1 loss.

¡°I seriously thought about it, yeah,¡± Martinez said. ¡°But you know what? I liked the way S¨¢nchez was pitching. He only had [65] pitches. I thought the way things were going ¡­ we put the ball in play, just couldn¡¯t put the ball in play with runners in scoring position.¡±

In other words, Martinez thought the Nationals were going to get to Astros right-hander Zack Greinke eventually, so he chose to keep his starting pitcher in the game and save his arms in the bullpen -- even though S¨¢nchez was about to face the top of the dangerous Astros lineup for the third time, with George Springer set to lead off the fifth. On the season, S¨¢nchez allowed a .923 OPS to batters when facing them the third time in the game, compared to .702 the second time.

S¨¢nchez would subsequently allow a run apiece in each of the next two frames and recorded only four more outs before being pulled with one out in the sixth.

¡°I don¡¯t think I had too many pitches by that point,¡± S¨¢nchez said. ¡°I think if we had more people on base, probably.¡±

? Solid 'pen in G3 has Nats set up well for G4

S¨¢nchez allowed four runs on 10 hits (including one home run) and one walk in 5 1/3 innings in a loss that cut the Nats¡¯ World Series lead to two games to one. S¨¢nchez allowed one run in 12 2/3 innings in his first two starts this postseason, including a masterful performance in his last start in Game 1 of the National League Championship Series against the Cardinals. He carried a no-hitter into the eighth inning.

That was two weeks ago.

On Friday, Josh Reddick hit a flare into left field that fell for a hit in the second inning to allow Carlos Correa to score and make it 1-0. Michael Brantley deflected a ball off S¨¢nchez¡¯s glove in the third inning to score Jose Altuve to make it 2-0. Brantley singled home Altuve again in the fifth, and Robinson Chirinos smacked a solo home run off the left-field foul pole in the sixth inning to make it 4-1.

¡°I missed a couple pitches,¡± S¨¢nchez said. ¡°Chirinos, he put a really good swing on it.¡±