Showalter (and basically all managers) use their closers in tied home games in the 9th. Pressly was used in the same manner the last 3 years. Osuna before that. Giles (Barf) before that.
but why not ALWAYS take at least a pitch (or 2), relative to: pitcher's in the zone, already lit stepping on the mound & throwing a display of darts-- vs ump's zone? (problem is.. Astros lost how to get into an opponents head... what happened to relentlessness or ruthless I-win-thats-what-I-do attitude) time to reexamine how to play psychological baseball.