Thoughts on L'Affaire de Tyler O'Neill

The first clubhouse controversy of the 2023 season is upon us

Punctuating the Cardinals’ humbling home sweep by the Braves this week was a bit of unwelcome Tuesday palace intrigue. It all flowed from Tyler O’Neill’s much-discussed out on the bases during the second game of the three-tilt set.

It unfurled in the home half of the seventh. Tyler O’Neill and Jordan Walker notched one-out singles before Juan Yepez flew out to left for the second out of the inning. At that point, Oli Marmol summoned Brendan Donovan to pinch-hit for Tyler Motter as the potential tying run. Braves skipper Brian Snitker countered with lefty Dylan Lee to seize the platoon advantage against Donovan. If Donovan could reach, then Lee would be forced to face Tommy Edman and perhaps Dylan Carlson, two switch-hitters who are significantly better from the right side of the plate (you’ll recall that relievers must face at least three betters or finish the half-inning).

Donovan did indeed reach, as he pulled an outside slider for a single. With two outs and O’Neill’s elite, 97th-percentile sprint speed on second based, he was sent by third-base coach Pop Warner. Meantime, out in right Atlanta’s Ronald Acuña Jr. uncorked a 93-mph plate-ward throw. Here’s how all of that went: