WASHINGTON D.C. -- Maybe Chicago Cubs manager Joe Maddon had a premonition. Despite chances to pinch hit for light-hitting catcher David Ross -- he had struck out three times in the game already -- Maddon let him finish what he started behind the plate.

“I really wanted him in the game late today,” Maddon said late Thursday night after the Cubs' 2-1 win over the Washington Nationals. “I thought he had a great feel for the game. I did not want to pinch hit for him. I thought he did a great job.”

It set the stage for Ross to end the game in dramatic fashion by picking off Clint Robinson at first base with the tying run standing at second. Ross threw out two would-be base stealers earlier in the game, but saved his best throw for the last play, with first baseman Anthony Rizzo catching it and easily nabbing Robinson trying to get back to the bag.

“Rizzo got my attention because I was focused on some other stuff,” Ross said. “He was like 'look at me.' I was concerned about [the batter] Anthony Rendon hitting the ball to right because we were staying away.”

Despite a .167 batting average, David Ross is finding ways to help the Cubs, as Thursday's game-ending play showed. Greg Fiume/Getty Images

According to the Elias Sports Bureau, it was the first time a game ended in that fashion since Aug. 12, 2009, when Nyjer Morgan of the Nationals got picked off first by Brian McCann, then with the Atlanta Braves.

On Thursday, it was Rizzo who initially called for the pickoff as Robinson was taking a big lead off first base. Most of the focus at that moment was on Michael Taylor at second, as he represented the tying run. It took a moment for Rizzo to get his catcher’s attention, as being coy was of utmost concern.

“It goes from a head bob to a foot tap to a head movement,” Rizzo said. “I’m always looking for that. He was the [lead] run so he’s taking a big, aggressive lead. Ross gave me a look and confirmed the signs, and he made a good throw.”

Ross added, “The only thing I’m worried about is Rendon slapping the ball to right -- Rizz vacating his spot is a big hole in right. I wanted to make sure the ball is off [the plate] enough so he couldn’t slap it over there.”

The pitch from closer Hector Rondon actually was over the plate, but high. Rendon did his part by not swinging before Ross threw a strike to Rizzo. In the dugout, Maddon had no idea the play had been called.

“Rock 'n' roll,” he said after the game. “I had no clue. I just have to give Ross a lot of credit there, and Anthony to put the play on. If he had thrown the ball in the right-field corner, I would have been fine. I would have absolutely been fine with the whole play. They saw something and went with it. It was all them, spectacular.”

Maddon doesn’t like to coach the aggressiveness out of his players for fear they will lock up at the most important times.

“You give the freedom to the player to be a baseball player,” Maddon said. “I don’t want to be that control freak. If you do that, then your players don’t play.”

So with the manager’s blessing to improvise, Rizzo made his gesture -- the Cubs say they change the signs every series -- and Ross never flinched. With only the two of them knowing the play was on, a bad throw could have ended the night in the Nationals’ favor.

“You never see anyone get picked off first base to end the game,” Ross said. “It was shocking. I wasn’t looking for that out until Rizzo, credit to him. Him being that aware won the game for us.”

Coincidentally, Ross was behind the plate for the Boston Red Sox in Game 4 of the 2013 World Series when Kolten Wong of the St. Louis Cardinals got picked off for the final out, but that throw came from pitcher Koji Uehara. This one was from the catcher.

“That’s what this reminded me of,” Ross said.

Ross has a .167 batting average with 18 strikeouts in 48 at-bats, but Maddon feels his catcher is invaluable. His experience plus receiving skills -- including his pitch framing -- to go along with his arm aren’t too shabby for a 38-year-old. And he came up with the play of the night Thursday.

“Ross does so many good things on the field that you can’t overlook them and reduce it to three strikeouts,” Maddon said.

The final kicker to the story is Rizzo may have initially missed Robinson on his sweep tag before the runner’s arm got back to the bag, but because the throw beat Robinson so badly, no one gave it a second look. The Cubs executed the play to near perfection, then possibly got a break on it. They earned it.

“It’s a play [that] if it works, we look great, if it doesn’t work, everyone is questioning us. So we’re happy it worked this time,” Rizzo said.