Explain this strategy to me

[Tskware]

Bottom of the 6th (I think) down 4-2, men on 1st and 3rd, one out.

Why do we bunt? Yes, we got the bunt down, and got a run . . . but that is all.

I always agreed with the old baseball adage that if you "play for one run, one is all you get".

When you are down 2 runs, only 1 out, why not swing away, or even try to steal second, I don't understand at all giving up an out in that situation.

 

[Big_Blue_1018]

The short answer is it worked.

But, UK has struggled in getting hits with runners in scoring position. So, the safety squeeze gets you a run and takes away the chance of a double play. Plus, and by no means is this a shot at him, Gei hasn’t played a lot in his career and it’s a safe at bat. Even if you don’t score the run, you still have two in scoring position for hopefully the next batter.

 

[Comebakatz3]

I am not as in love with the safety squeeze as our coaches, but it is a fun play when it works. Here, I think they wanted at least the run and knew that this thing would probably be a bit of a pitchers duel, so they were willing to try to chip away at the lead. Our hitters had struggled in that game, and so, one way to ensure that you get the run in is to put down the bunt and not worry about having to actually get the base hit. Gei executed it well.

Would have been nice had we gotten the big inning and not needed the 9th inning heroics, but we could have also rolled into a double play and gotten nothing.

 

[Tskware]

Of course every strategy looks great in hindsight after a walk off 2 run HR to win while trailing in the bottom of the 9th.

 

[Comebakatz3]

I think, in the bottom of the 6th, with three more at bats coming, UK just wanted to at least cut into the lead and if it meant continuing to play small ball in order to win, then so be it. It might have been that they didn’t feel like their hitters were really squaring up the pitcher they were facing and so they didn’t think a big inning was extremely likely.

 

[Big_Blue_1018]

I think youre going to see more and more of the small ball with this team as the year goes on. Especially when the SEC starts.

 

[Old_Red]

We're batting 270 so far this season. I'm not sure what we are batting with runners in scoring position, but it isn't good. Sacrificing a run in may be the only way to do it. We've popped up and struck out often enough with runners on base to make the sacrifice seem like the better option. I can't recall a year in recent history where we were batting this poorly this early in the season so I'd expect it (and the aggressive base running) to continue into the SEC season.