Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said he had no problem with Marlins manager Mike Redmond’s decision to challenge a play at second base Wednesday night, with the Braves trailing 9-0.
One of baseball’s unwritten rules is that teams and players don’t take too kindly to stolen bases late in a blow-out.
Marlins shortstop Adeiny Hechavarria had rounded first base on a flyball to center, good for at least a base hit and an RBI, before he was called out at second base on a throw from B.J. Upton to Dan Uggla to end the fifth inning.
Hechavarria reacted, Redmond came on the field to challenge the play and the call was overturned after the umpires took a second look. Reliever David Hale had to come back out on the field and retired pitcher Nathan Eovaldi on a groundball.
“I don’t have a problem whatsoever,” Gonzalez said. “I think if it’s the ninth inning, maybe Red plays it different. But your responsibility is to your team. Your responsibility is to your players. And if you’re telling your players to bust your (butt) out of the box and play the game the right way, then you’ve got to back them.”
Gonzalez said he caught a glimpse of Redmond’s comments in his postgame news conference, when Redmond defended his decision by telling reporters: “It’s the fifth inning. We’re still playing. Guys are still running balls out and playing hard. We’re playing the game the right way. Hech busted it out of the box. That, for me, is the key. That’s why we have replay, to get the calls right.”
