Chance Sisco Criticized by Twins After 9th-Inning Bunt in 7-Run Game

Minnesota Twins players criticized Chance Sisco of the Baltimore Orioles after he bunted in the ninth inning of a seven-run game with pitcher Jose Berrios working on a one-hitter.

"Obviously, we're not a fan of it," second baseman Brian Dozier told reporters after Sunday's game, which ended in a 7-0 win for Minnesota. "He's a young kid. I could've said something at second base but they have tremendous veteran leadership over there."

This, for the most part, seems like a bit of sour grapes from the Twins. A one-hitter isn't a record-book stat, and Dozier bunted against a shift the Twins employed. If Minnesota didn't feel the game was potentially within reach, odds are the team wouldn't—and shouldn't—have shifted.

"I don't care if he's bunting. I just know it's not good for baseball in that situation. That's it," Berrios told reporters.

Baseball has a ton of unwritten rules, but this one appears to be a first. There have been multiple instances of a team being upset with an opposing player for bunting during a no-hitter—a crowning achievement for a pitcher that happens only a few times per season.

While one-hitters are impressive, they're a dime a dozen in comparison. There is a reason pitchers are oftentimes removed from games when they give up a hit while working on a no-hitter—the two accomplishments are not seen in nearly the same strata.

Sisco was simply doing what he thought was best to get his team back in the game. If the Twins did not want him to bunt, perhaps shifting was a bad managerial call. 

Berrios also went on to give up another hit later in the inning.