When a team is down to its last two outs in a playoff series, there's an expectation that it will scratch and claw in every at-bat and make life tough on whomever is pitching.
The Padres seemed primed to try rally against the Phillies in the top of the ninth innnig in Game 5 on Sunday. They had runners on first and second with one out and trailing 4-3. Ranger Suarez, who isn't used to coming out of the bullpen, had just come into the game.
The stage seemed set for Trent Grisham to try to make life difficult for Philadelphia. Instead, Grisham instead tried to lay down a bunt down one of the lines. It went out in front of the mound instead. Suarez pounced on it to get Grisham at first for the second out of the inning.
Grisham gave away an out, a valuable commodity. On the very next pitch, Austin Nola flied out to right field, punching the Phillies' ticket to the Fall Classic.
The bunt itself was respectable, but to attempt it under those conditions and with those stakes is, to say the least, confusing.
According to manager Bob Melvin after the game, the bunt was supposed to be a "hybrid" between bunting for a hit and a sacrifice. MLB.com's AJ Cassavell said Melvin said the Phillies first baseman had been playing back and the Padres thought they could take advantage of it.
MORE: Bryce Harper's eighth-inning blast sends Philadelphia to the World Series
Baseball fans were confused as well.
The Padres just had Trent Grisham bunt (or allow him to bunt) with runners on 1st and 2nd and one out trailing by one in the ninth inning of a game that ended their season
— Danny Abriano (@DannyAbriano) October 23, 2022
That is among the worst on-field things I’ve ever seen in any sport
What in the world
Can someone please explain that Grisham bunt?
— Randy Wilkins (@pamsson) October 23, 2022
I don’t expect anyone on the Padres to throw Grisham under the bus for that bunt, but I’ll bet we hear a couple of “He was trying to put pressure on the defense” quotes.
— Jason Foster (@ByJasonFoster) October 23, 2022
Questionable decisions at the end for the Padres, including that weird bunt by Trent Grisham. https://t.co/sYz6nRaIYx
— D.J. Short (@djshort) October 23, 2022
Grisham showed power earlier this postseason, making the decision even more confusing.
The Padres will have a lot to figure out after a series that was much closer than the 4-1 finish shows. Every game was competitive, but the Phillies ultimately were the better team with their timely hitting.
Whether Grisham laid down the bunt on his own or if it came from manager Bob Melvin, the risk of Grisham getting thrown out was simply too high to do it in that situation. As a sacrifice, it was perfect. But the Padres didn't have enough rope left to relinquish any of it at that point in the game.
