For much of his start on Saturday, Framber Valdez was cruising. The first five innings were relatively stress-free for the left-hander, minus the occasional base runner. His defense didn’t do Valdez many favors, but he still found a way out of trouble by inducing a groundout or picking up a strikeout when needed. Alas, sometimes all it takes to derail a strong start is only one play or two. Cue this disastrous sixth-inning play at first base.
At first glance, it was clear that Singleton lacked the necessary urgency. Instead of charging the ball, the first baseman let the ball come to him.