Texas Rangers win (finally), and baseball’s dirty little b-word played a key role
The sacrifice bunt became more and more taboo over the past decade or so in the American League, and it’s become a dirty four-letter word with the Texas Rangers ever since Ron Washington left as manager in 2014.
The thinking for the anti-bunters, who date to the beginning of the Moneyball era in baseball, is it’s foolish to give up an out when a hitter could help orchestrate a big inning by reaching via a hit or a walk.
Texas Rangers manager Chris Woodward typically is part of that crowd, with the extra-innings loss Tuesday to Colorado the most recent example.
That loss was one of nine straight entering Friday, when the Rangers returned home after their second straight winless road trip and really needed a win.
But loss is a dirtier baseball word than bunt, and the Rangers put down two sacrifice bunts in building an early lead at Globe Life Field en route to a 5-4 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays.
Things got a little hairy in the ninth, when Tampa Bay scored twice and had the tying run at third with two outs.
Maybe the Rays should have bunted.
“I think it’s just, ‘Play baseball,’” Woodward said. “We talked about playing small ball and using the whole field, hitting behind, beating shifts and stuff like that. When things aren’t going well, I wouldn’t say it’s desperate measures, but just trying to scratch and claw to get ourselves the lead.”
Woodward said that Jose Trevino bunted on his own in the third trying to get a hit, but ended up moving Willie Calhoun to second. Calhoun ended up scoring two batters later on a fielder’s choice by Adolis Garcia.
The successful sacrifice an inning later by Charlie Culberson came from the bench and was the second run in a three-run rally. Nick Solak also tried to bunt for a hit in the game.
The Rangers tried to generate any kind of offense with Kyle Gibson, their best pitcher, back on the mound after almost two weeks on the injured list.
What a novel idea.
It wasn’t all small ball. Joey Gallo connected in the fifth for his 10th homer, a solo shot, to make it 5-0. Gibson was removed in the sixth as the Rangers played it safe with his strained right groin.
Tampa Bay struck for two against Josh Sborz on a Brandon Lowe homer, and they put a scare into the Rangers in the ninth by scoring twice and moving the potential tying run to third base with two outs.
Closer Ian Kennedy, though, struck out Lowe to end it.
“I knew it wouldn’t be easy,” Woodward said.
Woodward said the Rangers celebrated their first win since May 23 almost like they had won the World Series. Gallo said he hopes they celebrate more when they do win the World Series.
But there was a sense of relief after the long skid, and playing at home in front of 30,635 helped.
“It’s always nice to be home,” Gallo said.
And a couple bunts helped, too. Imagine that.
