I’ll preface by saying that I’m a big DVH fan and know he has 100 times the baseball knowledge that I do. That said, no one makes the right call 100% of the time.
I believe it was the 3rd or 4th inning. Ole Miss walked Martin, and then hit Heston with a pitch. Two on, nobody out with your 3-hole hitter coming up. Sure, Ezell has been in a slump recently - but not a super slump like Opitz has been in for 3 weeks or more.
With their pitcher showing lack of control, and the pressure on him, WHY do we try to bunt Ezell??? AT LEAST, make the guy throw a strike to make sure he won’t give another free base before you try that approach. As it was, after two failed bunt attempts and in an 0-2 hole, he hit into a double play. But if he’s hitting away from the start, who knows what would have happened.
There are times when it pays to bunt - I understand that. But this wasn’t one of them.
Ezell is the best bunter on the team and has shown it countless times in sacrifice scenarios this year. That decision pays off much more often than it doesn’t. That is how this team has been built to play this year.
I know the percentages as well as anyone else; but part of the game is feel and momentum. With a suddenly wild pitcher, don’t GIVE him an easy out. Let HIM prove he can find the plate. And, in a situation where he KNOWS you may be bunting, it makes it all the more difficult for him, because he doesn’t want to throw fastball strikes that are relatively easier to bunt successfully. He’ll be trying to nibble around the corners and with his poor control (at that moment) there’s a very good chance he will throw a couple of balls and/or hit the batter and/or throw a wild pitch. Bunting immediately then, in that situation, with your 3 hole hitter - I just wouldn’t do it. You are doing the pitcher a big favor.
Another KEY factor - it was only the third inning. If you’re playing in the bottom of the ninth needing a run to tie or win - different story. But that early, I’m looking to put up more than one run with 2 on and nobody out. THAT’s the way we’ve posted so many crooked number innings early in games this season.
I would have bunted every time in that situation. Every time. Ezell has piled up some strikeouts of late. He did not early. He’s had a hard time staying away from the slider on swings and misses. And, he’s a great bunter. Not just good, but great. It just didn’t work out.