Usually, when Texas Rangers third baseman Adrian Beltre takes a knee in the batter’s box, it’s bad news for the opposing pitcher.
For example:
And again:
It’s really kind of weird, but also very awesome. He’s been doing it for a few years now — it’s just another idiosyncrasy for one of baseball’s quirkiest and most entertaining players.
But apparently the Beltre genuflect doesn’t always work out for him, as Boston Red Sox reliever Fernando Abad proved Wednesday night in Texas.
Abad, pitching late in the Rangers’ eventual 8-2 win over the Red Sox, shocked Beltre with a 62-mph “changeup,” we guess we’ll call it.
Filthy-ish.
It’s not the first time the left-hander has used the pitch, either. He caught Toronto Blue Jays shortstop Troy Tulowitzki looking at a pitch on the (far) outside corner to strike him out earlier on the Boston road trip.
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It’s hard to argue with the pitch’s effectiveness, too. Abad obviously fooled Beltre and ultimately got him to line out to shortstop.
