CHICAGO – Chicago White Sox manager Tony La Rusa says he will do it again one day after deliberately ordering a two-strike.
In the sixth inning of Thursday’s 11-9 defeat to the Los Angeles Dodgers, La Russa ran right-handed hitting Speedster Tree Turner with a 1-2 count. Homer hit a three off the ball of Lefty Bennett Sousa to hit Max Munsey with his left hand, giving Los Angeles a 10-5 lead.
Munshi had five RBIs returning after losing 11 games with a swollen left corner. He entered by hitting .150 to Turner’s .303.
Ahead of Friday’s home game against Texas, La Rousseau, 77, referred to a line he said was given to him by the White Sox and former Baltimore manager Paul Richards.
“Trust your gut. Don’t cover your buttocks,” La Rusa said.
Freddie Freeman was sixth on Thursday when Sousa tossed a 0-2 slider coin for a wild pitch. After opening the first base, La Russa ordered Turner to walk on purpose, which he believed posed a great danger.
“Psssssh, after 24 hours, I’m even more shocked,” La Rusa said of the reaction. “It’s not a very close call. I mean, do you know what Munshi was hitting with his left hand this season? .125.”
The move was about Turner, who had already run out when he made an infield single leg out.
According to ESPN statistics and information research, Turner is a .254 career hitter after 1-2 counts against lefty pitcher and this season he is hitting .333 (15-to-5) in such conditions.
“Turner is a non-strike hard hitter, one strike, two strikes,” La Rusa said. “He makes it small and he has all kinds of ways to play ball and hurt you.
“Now, if he’s a right-handed pitcher, yes, I’ll probably try to pitch.”
Turner said he was surprised when he was first sent. Munsey admitted he was angry, then picked up a 2-2 pitch from Sosa on the left wall for his fourth homer.
“Since then, someone sent me some statistics about Turner’s hits with 1-2 counts,” La Rusa said. “He is the third or fourth best hitter in baseball in the last three years. I mean, we all know that. “
The report uses information from the Associated Press.
