Angels manager Joe Maddon on Friday ordered the second bases-loaded intentional walk of his career and only the third in the majors since at least 1950, while Shohei Ohtani homered twice to lead Los Angeles past the Texas Rangers 9-6.
Corey Seager joins Barry Bonds in 1998 and Josh Hamilton in 2008 in being given first base with the bases full. Hamilton’s free pass was also called by Maddon, who was then managing the Tampa Bay Rays against the Rangers.
Maddon visited with Austin Warren, who had walked his only previous batter to load the bases in the fourth inning with one out, then signaled that Los Angeles wanted to walk Seager, a two-time All-Star who joined Texas this season on a 10-year, US$325 million contract.
Photo: AFP
Charlie Culberson scored to put Texas ahead 4-2.
Maddon called his visit to the mound “a Hallmark kind of moment.”
“I thought by walking Seager there, of course, just trying to stay out of a big blow,” Maddon said. “And also just to stir the group up, quite frankly.”
Photo: AFP
“I walked out there and looked at [Warren]. I said: ‘How ’bout ...’ and then he kind of said: ‘Putting him on.’ I said: ‘Yeah, how ’bout putting him on?’ And he kind of smiled. And then the infielders kind of dug it, too.”
Warren said that he was surprised by the request.
He said: “But, I mean, I’m not going to tell Joe Maddon no.”
Photo: Jim Cowsert-USA TODAY
“Maybe he hits a grand slam,” Texas manager Chris Woodward said. “Maybe he hits into a double play.”
Mitch Garver followed with a sacrifice fly to the warning track and Warren later balked in Marcus Semien to make it 6-2.
The Angels answered with a five-run fifth that included Ohtani’s second homer to lead 7-6.
“The balk’s what really hurt,” Maddon said. “The balk made it a two-run moment as opposed to a one-run moment, which I was perfectly happy with.”
Bonds’ intentional walk was called by then-Arizona Diamondbacks manager Buck Showalter, who is now the skipper of the New York Mets.
Both of the previous bases-loaded intentional walks were also part of victories — the Rays over the Rangers 7-4 at the old ballpark across the street from Globe Life Field and the Diamondbacks over the San Francisco Giants 8-7.
Ohtani hit the game’s first pitch into the Texas bullpen in right-center for his fifth leadoff homer and added a two-run shot in the fifth for his seventh multi-homer game.
“He’s starting to do Shohei things again,” Maddon said.
In other games on Friday, it was:
‧ Blue Jays 4, Athletics 1
‧ Brewers 1, Cardinals 10
‧ Dodgers 3, Reds 1
‧ Guardians 1, Giants 4
‧ Mariners 11, Astros 1
‧ Marlins 7, Phillies 1
‧ Mets 10, Diamondbacks 3
‧ Orioles 2, Yankees 1 (11i)
‧ Padres 2, Braves 5
‧ Pirates 2, Nationals 7
‧ Red Sox 4, Twins 8
‧ Rockies 6, Cubs 5
‧ Royals 1, Tigers 2
‧ White Sox 3, Rays 2
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