The Rays tried to get creative against Jordan Montgomery in Game 1, but it didn’t work. In the first attempt, they tried to bunt on him, betting that the big lefty wouldn’t move well off the mound. Montgomery calmly shuffled over, fielded the bunt cleanly, and made a strong, accurate throw to first to get the out. A couple batters later, with runners on the corners and one out, Tampa Bay went back to the same strategy and bunted again. This time it went airborne. Montgomery locked in, charged off the mound, and made a diving catch.
Even after crashing to the ground, he came up ready to throw. His awareness and athleticism shut the bunt game down. The Rays thought they found a weakness. Montgomery showed that wasn’t the case. He didn’t just pitch well. He handled both bunts cleanly and made sure Tampa Bay didn’t get away with the same trick twice.