Gallo needs to learn to lay a bunt down without runners on base

KT 90 said:

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Astros using 4 outfielders against Gallo, per Evan's pic in his tweet:

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Not keeping up with the game........what was the result of this.....strikeout?

He flied out in both at bats on the 1st pitch

aggiefan09 said:

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Gallo needs to learn to lay a bunt down without runners on base

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Especially last inning when he was the leadoff batter. Need to take the free base if they are all but giving it to you.

KT 90 said:

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aggiefan09 said:

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Gallo needs to learn to lay a bunt down without runners on base

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Especially last inning when he was the leadoff batter. Need to take the free base if they are all but giving it to you.

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I know his role is supposed to be a power hitter, a home run is nice but baserunners change the dynamic of the next batter up

Hamels just had a 1-2-3 inning, that positive! He's at 80 pitches now, so may be done since it is early in the season. I'm just watching the live stats, so no idea if we are warming somebody up.

Astros up 3-0, bottom 5th.

Look at Odor with the walk off of Verlander. Maybe he can make that part of his game. He's been on base both times today, single and a walk.

5.2, 3 ER from your ace.

Gallo....yikes

This is fun

You know it's not your day when the leadoff man goes yard.

This is going to be a very very long season

I know this is nothing new but how can a professional hitter not go the other way on demand when they give you the entire left side of the field. /Gallo

Rangers baseball. Shut out today and tomorrow we'll score 10 runs and lost 12-10.

Fister vs. Keuchel tomorrow... give me Fister

toucan82 said:

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Fister vs. Keuchel tomorrow... give me Fister

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If the season goes like this game that statement could have a whole different meaning

Just frustrating that there was nothing surprising today

Andrus and Beltre....and the Round Rock Express

Rua is our starting LFer....RUA!!!?
Go sign Melky Cabrera...anyone but Rua....

****

Why not pinch hit for Chirinos??

Oh yeah, Banister can't manage a roster

At least we weren't shutout today.

I think Giles could throw 200 pitches and Chrinos wouldn't touch one...that was UGLY

I guess a follow-up question would be, if Gallo just slaps an opposite field single Everytime, isn't that also a win for the shift in the long run?

Assuming he doesn't get on base Everytime he tries it

PatAg said:

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I guess a follow-up question would be, if Gallo just slaps an opposite field single Everytime, isn't that also a win for the shift in the long run?

Assuming he doesn't get on base Everytime he tries it

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With the defense the Astros had... I would have to assume he could get a double in many cases. They had 4 OFs and 3 IFs on the righthand side.

You hit the ball between SS and 3B and make the pitcher run to get it. It may only be a single, but you've now made the P run off the mound. He'll likely be winded, and at a minimum, taken out of his rhythm. It helps the rest of the lineup.

You also force the pitcher into more pitches.

Ryno01 said:

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I think Giles could throw 200 pitches and Chrinos wouldn't touch one...that was UGLY

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Did Chirinos make contact at all today?

The fire sale begins June 1

If you're seeing no one do it, there's probably a reason. I'd guess the likely reason is that a lot of these hitters can't reliably lay down a bunt and beat it out.

I mean I'd love to be a fly on the wall during JDs brass meeting


Let's see who is gonna start LF this year....

"Ryan Rua"

I mean he strikes out too much (that part fits in well with the rest of the team)
He doesn't have much power but he has the frame
Because he has the frame he doesn't play very good defense

He's perfect! I mean who did they have on their big board all year?
I watched Calhoun at Round rock....he ain't ready...

Also thinking out loud here

Maybe the shift won't be as big with Delino on first and Gallo batting 2nd?
Problem is Delino actually has to get on base

So teach them how to bunt!!! Just had a month of spring training. Reason number 72 the Rangers will suck again this yr.

True, it is not easy to bunt a MLB pitch. But with an offseason or two to work at it, there's no excuse to constantly hit into the shift. It's not like it takes a very good bunt. Plenty of bunts that would be garbage for a sacrifice would work great vs the shift. Even better in some cases.

It mostly shows that baseball has plenty of "stuck in the old way of doing things" in soite of some advances like the shift. This needs to become an area of developmental focus in the minors, particularly for some guys whose profile make them likely future targets of a ahift.

Guys don't bunt against a shift because of EGO. They have the "oh yea, watch this", and when they hit a line drive to the second baseman playing in shallow right field, they shrug their shoulders and say, " pssh, that would have been a hit had they not been in a shift".

Yes, it's not "easy" for guys to lay down a bunt against Major League pitching, and it's certainly not easy when you have an EGO like professional athletes.

With 2 outs and down multiple runs, I understand not bunting to take the easy base. If there are no outs or 1 out though and you are down 3 runs with Elvis and Beltre behind you then you should automatically try and take the free hit. In that situation the team just needs base runners and they are giving you a free base. The worst part was, he ended up striking out when he was up 3-1 in the count in that situation in the mid innings when the astros were giving away the left side.

Right. If I recall, run expectancy is 0.88 with a runner in 1st and 0 outs, with about a 45-50% chance of scoring at least once. With 1 out, it's more like 0.5 run expectancy with a 25-30% chance of scoring. Now it should be adjusted down because getting on base isnt an automatic even when bunting against an empty half of an IF. But still, that's gotta to beat swinging away by a mile if he can get remotely competent at bunting.

Not to mention, any time you can put a runner on base, especially with < 2 outs, that puts pressure on a pitcher. Pressure leads to fatigue. Fatigue can lead to rallies. And it can at least just break up the rhythm of a guy that may be rolling.