Detroit — On the surface, it looked like a mistake. Victor Reyes stole second base in the seventh inning of a tie game Friday night, leaving first base open, which ultimately enabled the St. Louis Cardinals to disarm Nick Castellanos, the Tigers’ most productive hitter, with the go-ahead run at third base.
It was, as manager Ron Gardenhire explained, not a mistake.
In fact, the play created three positive potential outcomes: The steal itself provided an opportunity for the runner at third base to score. It put a second runner in scoring position. And, by walking Castellanos, the Tigers had a hot-hitting Victor Martinez hitting left-handed against a right-handed reliever.