Bunt Call, Decision To Pinch-Run For Martinez Prompt Second-Guessing Of Ausmus
By Ashley Dunkak
@AshleyDunkak
DETROIT - Second baseman Ian Kinsler pegged it perfectly when he predicted that everyone would be looking for someone to blame after the Detroit Tigers lost Thursday's game, 8-7, to the Chicago White Sox.
Many pointing fingers have targeted Tigers manager Brad Ausmus, who made several decisions that many observers found questionable.
One such call came in the sixth inning, when Ausmus called for second baseman Ian Kinsler to lay down a bunt with no outs and men on first and second. The Tigers trailed 5-4 at the time. Had Kinsler executed the bunt, Detroit could have had runners on second and third with Miguel Cabrera coming up to the plate and Victor Martinez to follow.
Kinsler popped out, however, and then Cabrera grounded into an inning-ending double play.
For Ausmus, the fact the move did not produce the desired result did not make it a bad move.
"[Reliever Jake] Petricka's a ground ball guy," Ausmus said. "We can get second and third, if they choose to pitch to Miggy, great, if they don't, I don't mind Victor hitting there either."
Another Ausmus move that drew the ire of some observers occurred in the ninth inning. With two outs and the game tied 5-5, Martinez singled. Ausmus promptly pulled Martinez - who was not particularly swift on the base paths even before he underwent offseason knee injury - and inserted Josh Wilson as a pinch-runner.
As it happened, the Tigers did not score in the ninth, but they mounted a rally in the 10th, and Martinez's spot in the lineup came up with the bases loaded. Wilson struck out, stranding the three runners and ending the game.
Ausmus defended the call to take out Martinez.
"The guy at the plate, I think, is second or third in the league in doubles, in [Yoenis] Cespedes, and certainly, even if Cespedes hits a single, if you don't pinch-run with [Martinez] at first, you've got to pinch-run for him at second," Ausmus said, "so I just felt like having a guy like Cespedes who can hit a double, I'd be upset with myself if he did hit a double and we don't score, so I just put Wilson in thinking he had a better chance to score on a double."
For his part, Martinez said he understood Ausmus removing him from the game. Martinez insisted there would be just as much second-guessing of the manager had he left Martinez in the game and then Martinez failed to score if the opportunity to do so arose.
"What would have happened if Cespedes hit a gapper?" Martinez said. "I would be held at third base. 'Why didn't they take him out?' It's easy to judge from outside, but we're trying to win ball games. I think that was the best option."
Fans might question what would have happened had Ausmus made a different decision, but Martinez said players and managers do not look at the situation that way.
"You can't play these games like that, you just can't," Martinez said. "You've got to do your move, and we're in the bottom of the ninth, playing obviously at home, that anything down the line, in the gap, can win the ball game, so you got to try it."
The Tigers now have a record of 37-36 and are third in the American League Central Division.
