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Ex-Twins player unsurprisingly defends Royce Lewis after controversial play vs. Guardians
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- Ex-Twins player unsurprisingly defends Royce Lewis after controversial play vs. Guardians
Ex-Twins player unsurprisingly defends Royce Lewis after controversial play vs. Guardians appeared first on ClutchPoints . Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here .
Baseball has unwritten rules. Some of those rules are up for debate, however. For example, how late is too late to bunt for a base hit when a starting pitcher is throwing a perfect game or no-hitter? Well, that exact subject surfaced because of a moment from Thursday's Cleveland Guardians and Minnesota Twins game.
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Guardians starter Gavin Williams — who has pitched well overall this season — was perfect through his first 4.1 innings of work at Target Field in Minnesota on Thursday afternoon. With Minnesota leading the series 2-0, the Guards needed their big right-hander to turn in a stellar performance, and he was in the middle of answering the call when Twins infielder Royce Lewis attempted to bunt for a base hit.
After bunting the first attempt foul, Lewis tried again on an 0-1 count. He ultimately bunted it foul once more. However, as Guardians broadcaster Matt Underwood said after what followed the failed bunt attempts, "There is no justice in this world" as Lewis ended up recording a two-strike single later in the at-bat, which ended Williams' perfect game bid.
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Video via Rob Friedman:
So, did Lewis break an unwritten rule? Or was he justified in attempting to bunt in the 5th inning of a perfect game. Well, former Minnesota Twins player and current analyst/broadcaster Trevor Plouffe defended the Minnesota infielder.
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"It's insane that anyone would complain about this! It's a baseball play. How dare Royce!"
Plouffe played most of his career in Minnesota and is not shy about cheering on the team. With that being said, Plouffe often drops honest takes and is not too biased . Still, the fact that he is defending a Twins player in this scenario is not surprising. Regardless, is he correct about this specific situation?
The Guardians' broadcast booth seemingly did not appreciate Lewis' bunt attempts. The 5th inning is a difficult spot. One could argue that the 6th inning or later is when bunting to break up a perfect game is classless. Others may argue the 8th or 9th inning is when it could be considered breaking an unwritten rule.
The 5th inning uncertainty in this specific situation could be argued both ways. Sure, it feels cheap trying to break up the perfect game in that manner. However, the Twins trailed the Guardians by only one game in the American League Central standings during this contest, and Minnesota had been unable to figure Williams out on the mound up to that point in the game. In a one-run game, Lewis' decision was understandable, but that doesn't mean Guardians fans have to like it.
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In the end, Cleveland got the last laugh as Williams struck out 11 and allowed only two runs across seven innings while the Guards earned a 5-2 victory.
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