After Saturday’s playoff loss, Brandon Hyde known as it a “miscommunication.” Gunnar Henderson stated Hyde made the decision. Aaron Hicks declined to say what the signal was, echoing his supervisor’s description.
So … what truly occurred?
There was confusion Saturday night over what occurred when Henderson was caught stealing within the ninth inning of the Orioles’ 3-2 Game 1 loss to the Texas Rangers, however Hyde clarified Sunday that Hicks missed a hit-and-run signal. By lacking the signal, Hicks didn’t swing at a hittable pitch, leaving Henderson out to dry on his stolen base try.
“We just missed the hit and run sign there,” Hyde stated Sunday. “Hicksey has been wonderful for us this entire season in so many ways. We do put runners in motion, we don’t hit a ton of homers, trying to generate offense a little bit at times. And we bunt, we do the little things. And yesterday we just missed a sign in the ninth inning there.”
Henderson stated after the loss he was disillusioned to be caught stealing, however the 22-year-old rookie didn’t reveal that Hicks missed a hit-and-run signal — a play when the runner is stealing second anticipating the batter to swing at any pitch in or near the strike zone, hoping to make the most of the defenders transferring out of place to cowl second base for the steal. Hicks, a 34-year-old veteran, wouldn’t say what the miscommunication was.
“I don’t know how else to explain it besides it being a miscommunication,” Hicks stated Saturday. “But, you know, we move on.”
When Henderson singled to steer off the ninth, it gave the Orioles a glimmer of hope as they trailed the Rangers, 3-2, in Game 1 of the American League Division Series.
Hicks was on the plate with the rely towards reliever José Leclerc at 2-1. Henderson then took off for second and was thrown out by catcher Jonah Heim to calm Camden Yards’ roaring crowd. Hicks struck out, and Adam Frazier grounded out to finish the sport, placing the Orioles down 1-0 within the best-of-five sequence.
As Henderson tried to steal, he appeared again at dwelling plate a number of instances, anticipating Hicks to swing for a hit-and-run. Hicks took the pitch, known as a ball despite the fact that it was within the strike zone, and Heim, an Orioles draft selection in 2013, nabbed Henderson at second. Heim is rated as an above-average throwing catcher by Baseball Savant and ranked second amongst certified catchers in caught-stealing proportion this season.
Neither Hyde nor Henderson threw Hicks beneath the bus Saturday, because the fifth-year skipper stated solely that it was a “miscommunication” and didn’t elaborate. Henderson stated he was attempting to get into scoring place to enhance the Orioles’ probabilities of tying the sport, noting Leclerc’s gradual supply to dwelling plate.
“I thought it was a good time to try and take it,” Henderson stated Saturday. “It didn’t happen, so … I hate that it didn’t happen, but if it did, we would have had a better chance to score.”
Added Henderson when requested whether or not Hyde made the decision: “Yeah, it was his. I was just trying to get out there and play hard, and we felt like we had a good chance to do it. … It was a good opportunity right there.”
When requested whether or not the signal was a straight steal or a hit-and-run, Hicks once more stated, “We move on.”
The failed steal was removed from the one mistake within the Orioles’ loss. It’s not sure Hicks would’ve executed the hit-and-run had he seen the signal or that Henderson would’ve been protected at second had Hicks swung by means of the pitch, probably hindering Heim’s throw to second.
“That didn’t cost us the game,” Hyde stated Sunday. “We had opportunities to score before that. We need to start taking a little bit of pressure off our pitchers and start scoring earlier in the game. Yesterday we didn’t execute in the times we have this season.”
Either approach, errors like that one will likely be even tougher to beat in Game 2 towards Rangers ace Jordan Montgomery. Hicks stated he believes within the Orioles’ skill to bounce again from the robust loss.
“We’re a team that is not going to give up,” Hicks stated. “We’re going to fight until the end.”
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Source: www.bostonherald.com