John Hicks’ bunt allowed JaCoby Jones to score from third to give the Detroit Tigers a 3-2 win in 12 innings over the Tampa Bay Rays
Detroit Tigers manager Ron Gardenhire wasn’t expecting it.
Neither was JaCoby Jones, the runner at third, or third base coach Dave Clark or almost anyone else in Comerica Park on Wednesday afternoon.
John Hicks, who started at first base in place of an injured Miguel Cabrera (left biceps spasm), successfully attempted a bunt toward first base in the 12th inning. That allowed Jones to score from third, giving the Tigers a 3-2 walk-off win over the Tampa Bay Rays.
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Jones led off the inning with a triple to center. The Rays played a shift with three infielders between third and second base on Hicks, who decided to try to force first baseman Brad Miller to field a bunt.
“Surprised me,” Gardenhire said. “I was looking in the gaps and seeing how short their outfielders were. He bunted. I can’t tell you exactly what I said. But it we won the game and it was a big play. You know what? We talked about making plays. He made a play and that was really cool.”
Gardenhire gave all the credit to Hicks.
“It was a good play, it was a big play,” Gardenhire said. “You saw them bunt on us a couple times and you know what, it worked. I didn’t expect it any more than anyone else in the ballpark. I thought he was going to drive a ball in the gap. I wished I could have said I put a squeeze on. I would have loved to been able to tell you that.
“We want them thinking along with the game. We want them to play the game, the whole game, and that’s playing the whole game. He saw a situation, a little push bunt towards first. They gotta make a great play to get him, because we have speed over there. There you have it. Glad to be off the field.”
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Hicks (2-for-4) said with Jones at third “all I had to do was get it down, and they’re playing the shift too. Miller had to field it and I knew that JaCoby would beat it.”
Hicks said the Tigers are having fun (13-16) and it starts with Gardenhire.
“The energy that he brings to us, a lot of guys in here want to win,” Hicks said. “We’re fighting to it.”
And while it’s easy to say a speedster like Jones will score from third, it’s another to put that bunt down in that situation successfully.
Hicks said he will attempt a bunt during batting practice.
“I get a couple bunt hits a year,” Hicks said. “A lot of third basemen play me back. It’s something I like to have in my repertoire. If I can get a base hit, I’ll take it.”
Jones finished 3-for-5.
“To be honest, with Hicks, no,” Jones said of anticipating the bunt. “I thought he was going to swing it. When I saw the bunt down, it surprised the crap out of me. Luckily he got it down in a good spot, and I was able to be safe. It worked out, but no, it surprised me so much.”
The Tigers could have taken a 3-2 lead in the seventh inning, but had to settle for a solo home run by James McCann, and then extra innings.
Jones led off the inning with a single to left-center. Hicks flied out to center and Jones tried to tag up and was thrown out at second base for the second out.
McCann followed with his third home run of the season.
“I hit him in the chest and said, ‘Keep playing,’ ” Gardenhire said of what he told Jones after the out. “Keep playing the game like that.
“He tried to make a play. They got him out. Good throw. Keep playing. That was effort and that’s all we’re after here.”
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Clark said Jones likely had in the back of his mind that the scouting report said to run on Rays centerfielder Mallex Smith.
“It took a perfect throw,” Clark said. “When we had our meetings, (Smith) was one of the guys we said we’re going to run on. And so, I’m sure that was in the back of (Jones’) mind. He did what he thought was the right thing. You know what? Hat’s off to him. He showed some aggressiveness.
“It still took a perfect throw with a guy like Jonesy, a guy we know is fast. He can be there nine times out of 10.”
Gardenhire wasn’t happy about a stolen base Jones had, after missing Clark’s hold sign in the ninth inning of Monday’s 3-2 loss to the Rays.
“He plays the game hard, he plays it the right way,” Clark said of Jones. “Sometimes playing aggressive, you’re going to have those little bumps. But nine times out of 10, you’re going to come out on the nice side.”
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Contact George Sipple: gsipple@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @georgesipple.
