Pinch-Hitting is Still Allowed, Right?

Just a few moments ago, in the top of the ninth inning in Game 3, Red Sox manager John Farrell let his pitcher hit in a tie game. As in, with Brandon Workman (a pitcher) due up against elite closer Trevor Rosenthal, with one out in the ninth inning of a tie game, Farrell chose to allow his pitcher to bat rather than use a pinch-hitter. Now, some quick reminders:

A) pinch-hitting is a legal strategy in National League baseball
B) it was a tie game
C) Brandon Workman is a rookie pitcher with zero career at-bats in his professional career
D) it was a tie game in the World Series
E) rookie pitchers with zero at-bats aren't good at hitting
F) it was a tie game in the ninth inning in the World Series

By letting Workman hit against Rosenthal, Farrell was literally throwing away an out. The rules of baseball granted him three outs in the ninth inning, and he refused that offer. "Nah, I'm good with two, thanks." There are only two hypothetical scenarios where letting Workman "hit" in a tie game in the ninth makes an ounce of sense:

1. The Red Sox had no pitchers left and Workman was their last hope.
2. The Red Sox had no hitters left and therefore couldn't replace Workman with anyone.

Did the Red Sox have a pitcher left? They actually had three. And one of them was Koji Uehara, only one of the three most dominant pitchers in the league this year.

Did the Red Sox have a hitter left? Well, Mike Napoli, for one. Otherwise known as this team's starting first baseman for the entire season.

What makes this decision even more mind-boggling is the events in the bottom of the ninth. Workman began the inning (obviously, after the huge price Farrell paid to keep him eligible). He struck out Matt Adams. Then Yadier Molina singled. And then ... JOHN FARRELL TOOK BRANDON WORKMAN OUT OF THE GAME.

AAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

In the top of the inning, Farrell decided that keeping Workman on the mound was of such paramount importance, so critical to his team's chances of winning, that he let him "bat" against Rosenthal, instead of pinch-hitting Mike Napoli and bringing in Uehara. Then in the bottom of the inning, all it took was a one-out single to convince Farrell that Workman no longer offered any value and it was time to use Uehara.

This begs the question: if Farrell was going to remove Workman after just one measly baserunner anyway -- if his leash was that short to begin with -- why was it so important that he remain in the game? If he was willing to use Uehara in the ninth all along, why not pinch-hit for Workman (with Mike Napoli!) and have Uehara start the ninth with a clean inning? There was no logic here. This was a stupendously stupid in-game decision by someone who's being paid millions of dollars by a premier sports franchise to make good in-game decisions.

After the game, Farrell said this:

"In hindsight having Workman bat against Rosenthal was a mismatch."

Wait a second -- you needed hindsight to realize that your pitcher batting against a closer who throws 100 miles per hour was a mismatch???

The Red Sox technically lost Game 3 on a bizarre obstruction call. They really lost it the moment their manager let a pitcher hit in the top of the ninth of a tied game in the World Series -- with a great hitter available to pinch-hit and a great reliever ready to take the mound -- and then removed him from the game anyway after facing just two more hitters. Awful awful awful.