Travis Bazzana's MLB debut had the weirdest ending for the Guardians
Travis Bazzana's MLB debut had the weirdest ending for the Guardians originally appeared on The Sporting News . Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here .
The script set up perfectly.
The Cleveland Guardians trailed the Tampa Bay Rays , 1-0, and Angel Martinez doubled with two outs in the bottom of the ninth. In stepped Travis Bazzana, the former No. 1 overall pick making his MLB debut.
Bazzana's family was in town from Australia. A whole ballpark rose to its feet in anticipation.
Up to that point, Bazzana had struck out, flown out to left-center, and walked. This was his chance at a heroic ending to his first major league game.
He went ahead in the count 2-0, and that's when things got weird.
Instead of continuing to pitch to Bazzana, the Rays held up four fingers and put him on first base with an intentional walk.
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It was the kind of move that teams rarely, rarely make. It put the walk-off run on first base, rather than in the batter's box.
Bazzana isn't known as a slugger, either. He has some pop, but the odds of him hitting a walk-off homer weren't that high, even if the stage seemed set for it.
Rays manager Kevin Cash decided to avoid that potential outcome, although it could've backfired in a major way if pinch-hitter George Valera followed up with any damage.
But Valera struck out, and that meant Cash's decision worked out.
It was a weird one, though, and one that bummed out the whole Cleveland fanbase hoping to see Bazzana do something special.
Quite the sign of respect from Cash, as well.
Bazzana will have plenty more moments to win a game for his ballclub. In his first, though, the bat was taken out of his hands.
