I haven’t a clue what to make of this, and from the look of at least one Angels player, they don’t either.
In the 4th inning of tonight’s Rangers-Angels game, the Rangers had just taken a 3-2 lead when Marcus Semien had just walked to load the bases with one out for Corey Seager. That’s when Joe Maddon threw everyone for a loop:
https://twitter.com/MLB/status/1515142804711870466
Maddon intentionally walked Seager, scoring a run and putting his team down 4-2, without improving the situation that much, because Mitch Garver was up next, and it ain’t like he’s bad. Walking Barry Bonds with the bases loaded and two outs when you’re UP a couple runs? OK. I get it. But this? Bizarre.
Mike Trout was all of us:
Mike Trout realizing they just walked Seager with the bases loaded pic.twitter.com/tH18Ccg4Tr
— Ben Porter (@Ben13Porter) April 16, 2022
To make matters worse, the Rangers thereafter got a sac fly, and then a balk to score another one. To make it even WORSE, the Angels answered the very next inning with four runs to tie it up. What could have been! What still might be!
UPDATE: Now Joe Maddon will be able to say “it worked,” because the Angels went on to win the game. Here’s how Maddon explained the move to reporters later, which he says was mostly about stirring things up:
Maddon on IBB with bases loaded: "I thought by walking Seager, it would avoid the big blow. And just to stir up the group, quite frankly. It's not something you normally do. I thought by going up there and doing something like that, the team might respond to something like that."
— Rhett Bollinger (@RhettBollinger) April 16, 2022
Joe Maddon on his conversation with Austin Warren: “I said ‘How about putting them on.’ And he kind of smiled and he said, ‘Yeah, I’m good with that.’ And then the infielders kind of dug in too. It was a great moment on the mound. It was a hallmark kind of moment on the mound.”
— Sam Blum (@SamBlum3) April 16, 2022
Asked Joe Maddon if he considered that there's probably 0 analytical justification for his decision. His answer:
"No. Not at all. The numbers are one thing. Human beings are something completely different. And for me, the human element right there required what we did.”
— Sam Blum (@SamBlum3) April 16, 2022