In the fifth inning of a 0-0 ballgame, Diamondback Rusty Ryal hit a gapper that split Rays outfielders BJ Upton and Matt Joyce. Upton went after the ball, but the speedy 40-steal threat seemed to be going at something less than full bore, allowing Ryal to stretch a should-be double into a triple. The extra base was rendered moot when Gerardo Parra followed with a two-run homer, but Upton wasn’t about to be let off the hook, as Evan Longoria let him hear about it in the dugout after the inning.
Video: BJ Upton Latest Florida Star To Pursue Rolling Baseball With Sunday Jog
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This is one of those situations where, if you’re Upton, you can’t really defend yourself. He’s been benched for a lack of hustle on more than one occasion. He clearly wasn’t sprinting after Ryal’s drive to the gap. With one out in a scoreless game, that extra base could’ve been a big deal. And it’s not like Upton’s been delivering all that much at the plate. No, loafing after a loose ball every so often isn’t as big a deal as it’s made out to be, but it’s negative, disrespectful, and selfish. It’s one of those things that doesn’t matter a lot in the game, but that does matter a lot in the dugout, and Upton really shouldn’t be acting as an aggressor here.
On the other hand, it’s possible that Upton was proceeding with caution because he thought Ryal’s baseball might be explosive. Which, hey, maybe.
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