Joey Ortiz makes no excuses for error that paved way to Brewers' Game 4 loss
· Yahoo Sports
ST. PETERSBURG, FL – Joey Ortiz was as good as it gets defensively in the regular season for the Milwaukee Brewers.
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He accounted for 16 outs above average between third base and shortstop, ninth-best in the major leagues, along with eight defensive runs saved. The glove work was a saving grace for the 28-year-old as he battled through a miserable first half at the plate before posting a resurgent final few months.
Injuries hampered Ortiz down the stretch, however, and with David Hamilton swinging a hot bat from the outset of the postseason, Ortiz has largely found himself on the outside looking in as the Brewers have marched their way to within a victory of their first World Series championship.
It was against that backdrop that Ortiz was inserted into Game 4 in the ninth inning with Milwaukee tied, 2-2, with the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field on Tuesday night, Oct. 27.
Taking over at third base after Andrew Vaughn pinch-hit for Hamilton, Ortiz twice bounced throws over to first baseman Jake Bauers on routine ground balls.
The first time, two batters into his appearance, Ortiz had his bacon saved by a great pick by Bauers on a short hop.
The second time, with Junior Caminero leading off the bottom of the 12th inning after Cooper Pratt's home run had given Milwaukee a one-run lead and three outs to get before popping champagne bottles, Ortiz wasn't so lucky.
And not long thereafter the Brewers were on the wrong end of an absolutely brutal 4-3 loss that will now necessitate a Game 5 on Wednesday, Oct. 28.
Antonio Senzatela, on the mound for the righty-righty matchup against Caminero, came up and in on his third pitch and broke the slugger's bat with a sinker.
The ball was pulled down the line and Ortiz, stationed near the third-base line and about a step in front of the outfield grass, fielded the ball with a backhand.
He had plenty of time to gather himself and make a strong throw to first with Caminero a slow runner. Instead, he quickly fired over and the ball bounced a few feet in front of Bauers, who was at least able to keep the ball in front of him as Caminero crossed the bag.
"I fielded the ball and I think I should have took another couple more steps toward first," Ortiz said afterward. "I made a [expletive] throw."
Added Bauers: "A little in-between pick, didn't come up with it. Sometimes you get 'em, sometimes you don't."
With several lefties due up, manager Pat Murphy called on rookie left-hander Shane Drohan, and things quickly went awry as the Rays singled four straight times to walk off the Brewers in painful fashion.
Ortiz was asked if his lack of playing time had perhaps contributed to any rustiness for him.
"No," he said. "There's no excuse. Not one at all. I should make that play every [expletive] time."
Ortiz wasn't alone in his struggles at third base, as Hamilton botched a potential tag play at third base in the fourth inning that allowed the Rays to go ahead, 2-1.
But Hamilton quickly atoned for his misdeed by launching a game-tying homer to open the fifth, and the score remained 2-2 until Pratt's homer in the top of the 12th.
Ortiz, to his credit, faced the cameras and the microphones in a subdued clubhouse afterward and Christian Yelich believes it's a moment his teammate will be able to quickly move past.
"Joey will be fine," Yelich said. "That kind of stuff happens. That's the game of baseball and like we've talked about as a group, you've got to respond. How bad do you want it? Championships aren't supposed to be easy. You've got to battle through adversity. You've got to stick together as a group and respond.
"You've got to flush this one tonight. It didn't go our way. Don't dwell on it and get ready to win one tomorrow."
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Joey Ortiz makes no excuses for error that paved way to Brewers' Game 4 loss