Los Angeles Angels manager Joe Maddon went full Joe Maddon Friday night. In a stunning managerial decision that definitely drew a ton of “what was he thinking” reactions, Maddon directed pitcher Austin Warren to intentionally issue a free pass despite the bases all being occupied in the fourth inning of the game against the Texas Rangers on the road.
Maddon would put much-needed context to his decision after the game, which the Angels won, 9-6.
Via Rhett Bollinger and Kennedi Landry of MLB.com:
“I thought by walking Seager, it would avoid the big blow,” Maddon said. “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.”
It was not the first time that Maddon ordered a walk on a bases-loaded situation in his career, but that he let that happen while the Angels were trailing made his decision even rarer. In fact, no human being right now was alive at the time it last occurred in the majors, per Bob Nightengale of USA TODAY Sports.
LA #Angels Joe Maddon becomes the first manager to order an intentional walk with the bases loaded while trailing in a game since Jim O'Rourke of the Buffalo Bisons on Aug. 2, 1881.
Maddon obviously did not want to pull Warren, a righty, from the game even though the latter was about to face a lefty in Corey Seager. The manager wanted Warren to deal with the two batters in the order after Seager, which were both righties in Mitch Garver and Adolis García. The plan backfired with the Rangers scoring three runs, but the Angels still found a way to steal a win, thanks to robust run support from Shohei Ohtani and company.
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