OK Wash, usually when people bark about you and your managerial shortcomings, they're crazy. I mean, what else needs to be said besides improving the team's win total every year you've been in Arlington and winning two straight AL pennants. Not to mention the fact you were a strike away, twice, from winning the first World Series in Texas Rangers history last season.
But there's a lot that was wrong with Sunday's game, a 10-inning walk-off loss to the Kansas City Royals on a day when you could've gained another game on both the Los Angeles Angels and Oakland A's in the AL West.
It wasn't your best day, Wash.
First off, Ian Kinsler gets the day? Really? I understand, he hadn't had a day off since May 16, and that's nearly three months. But he's also been the hottest hitter in your lineup over the past four games and when your lineup has struggled to score runs and your leadoff hitter is finally red-hot, you don't rest him. Kinsler entered Sunday on a 10-for-19 tear over the four previous games. It just doesn't make a lot sense.
But whatever, we can get over that.
Want to know what we can't get over? It's that awful ninth inning strategy.
In a 6-6 tie, Mike Olt led off the inning with a key walk, then stole second base and advanced to third on a throwing error from the Royals' catcher. There you go, no outs, runner on third and the top of your order up needing one run to try to slam the door on the Royals and complete a three-game sweep.
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And you call a suicide squeeze for Elvis Andrus with Olt on third? The same Andrus who came into that at-bat with two hits already and entered the game on a 9-for-20 tear. And you bunt him? With no outs?
Unfortunately for Andrus, he was set up for failure when the Royals' pitcher threw a ball in the dirt and even though Andrus tried to reach out and make contact, it was a doomed attempt. The catcher blocked the ball and tagged Olt out. Terrible.
It's hard to say Washington lost the game for the Rangers on Sunday on a day when the Rangers committed two key errors that led to the Royals' 10th-inning run, but he sure played a big role in it. Let the second-guessing commence.
