Los Angeles — It’s been a heck of a trip for Tigers center fielder Derek Hill.
He’s had two bullet liners inside the bag at first base snagged and turned into fast double-plays. He had a perfectly-executed bunt single nullified because he ran inside the baseline and interfered with the throw, according to the home plate umpire. He also struck out with two on and nobody out in a 1-1 game in the seventh inning Saturday, missing three straight bunt attempts.
“That’s baseball for you,” Hill shrugged. “Baseball ain’t fair. That’s why we love it. That’s why we keep coming back. If it was easy nobody would want to do it.”
Hill also collected the third hit off Clayton Kershaw’s filthy slider this season — a double in the third inning Saturday. But trying to bunt with two strikes against the high-rpm spin of Dodgers’ reliever Evan Phillips was curious.
Manager AJ Hinch explained Sunday morning that he gave Hill the bunt sign for all three pitches.
“His job was to move the runners up,” Hinch said. “Honestly, the way we had not been scoring runs, I was willing to do anything to get two runners in scoring position for a potential sacrifice fly. Derek is usually a good bunter. Maybe he is a better bunter on his own than he is when I give the sign.
“But our lack of scoring, we had to get someone else in scoring position to get at least one run.”
Javier Baez picked Hill up and rescued the inning, punching a two-out, RBI single inside the bag at first, breaking the 1-1 tie and sending the Tigers to a 5-1 win.
Gradually, begrudgingly, the bunt seems to be creeping its way back into baseball relevance. The Twins used it as a weapon against Tigers starter Tarik Skubal earlier in the week. Robbie Grossman had a bunt single taken away because he stepped on the plate. Hill has had a couple of bunt hits this season.
“Somebody told me that around the league, it’s like a .333 batting average for guys when they bunt,” Hinch said. “Like, there are hits out there for guys. And with Derek, his skill-set matches that. He can swing the bat a little bit, but he also has that dynamic speed.
“I think it’s becoming more part of the game.”
Hinch said the extreme shifts and players chasing hits when they’re scuffling is making the bunt seem more attractive.
“Guys used to bunt all the time,” Hinch said. “It’s not a free hit because teams play defense, but it’s an effective play. We play so deep as an industry now at third base and nobody bunts. Derek bunts more than most. His job is to get on base and bunts count.”
The bunt was not part of Hill’s game when he first started his long ascent through the Tigers’ system. In fact, it wasn’t until former outfield and base running coordinator Gene Roof got hold of him that Hill even considered bunting an option.
“Yeah, growing up I never really bunted,” Hill said. “Gene Roof really helped me with that. I tip my cap to that man. He showed me all the particulars, a lot of them. He was really influential in that regard.”
The bunt has looked even more attractive to him recently as more teams, seeing the congested middle on his spray chart, started bunching infielders and outfielders toward the middle of the diamond.
“I feel like bunting is a little bit of a lost art,” he said. “Not a whole lot of people are doing it anymore. But the way teams are shifting me now, I feel like it’s a pretty good weapon to use.”
Around the horn
Hinch had some encouraging news about reliever Jose Cisnero, who is on the 60-day injured list with a right shoulder strain. He’s cleared the injury and has begun the process of rebuilding his strength. He has begun his throwing program. Barring any setbacks, he is on track to return sometime in June.
.. .The Tigers have until noon Monday to trim to players off the roster, as Major League Baseball reduces roster size from 28 to 26. Hinch has intimated that with the Tigers’ heavy schedule (30 games in 28 days), he likely will keep 14 pitchers and 12 position players. That means the Tigers would trim two position players.
…Although, there is some uncertainty now about outfielder Robbie Grossman’s availability next week. He was hit in the right hand by a 93-mph fastball Sunday. Preliminary x-rays were negative for a fracture, but he’s expected to get reevaluated on Monday. That would impact the Tigers’ roster decisions.
…Dodger shortstop Trea Turner went 0-for-4 Sunday, thus ending a streak of 39 games in which he reached base safely dating back to Sept. 12 last season.
chris.mccosky@detroitnews.com
Twitter: @cmccosky