With two outs, runners at first and third, and Colby Lewis up, Ron Washington ordered a bunt. The options were:
World Series Game 6: Bunt Or Just Stand There?
a. Have Lewis take every pitch until he walks or strikes out
b. Have Lewis bunt
c. Have Lewis swing away
Every National League-watching goof from Hawaii to Maine would pick “b.” It’s not that we’re bunt fetishists ... it’s just what we’re conditioned to expect. If a pitcher comes up with fewer than two outs and a runner on, he’s bunting.
The prevailing feeling on Twitter, though: bad move. Not sure if the masses would have preferred the swinging or the taking, but they weren’t in love with the bunting. Here’s what it looked like when Lewis made contact.
If David Freese had garlic bread with lunch, Lewis could confirm. With the wheel play on, Freese whipped the ball to Elvis Andrus at third, who threw out Colby Lewis at first for a double play.
Maybe I’m the silly one here, but my problems aren’t with the idea to bunt, even with the corners crashing in like that. The problems with the bunt, in order of importance:
- The crappy bunt
- Telegraphing the bunt
- Mike Napoli running like a gigantic catcher
- Colby Lewis running like a gigantic pitcher
Swinging away with a pitcher used to hitting? That’s probably the best idea in situation like that, where both corners are close enough to lick home plate. With Colby Lewis, though, the only right option was for him to bunt better.
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