Next to the insane number of Tommy John surgeries needed so far this season, perhaps the most discussed and debated subject has been the use of the infield shift against some of baseball’s best hitters.

It seems that every team employs some form of defensive shift at some time or another. And though the jury is still out on whether shifts are a good strategy most of the time, it’s hard to argue that they are not successful at least some of the time.

Every time Adrian Gonzalez came to the plate without a runner in scoring position, the Cardinals employed the shift – and it usually worked. (Click on photo to enlarge) (Photo credit – Ron Cervenka)

With all of the technology and sabermetrics available today, it comes as no surprise that it is being used in determining where to position defensive players against certain hitters. It should also come as no surprise that hitters are constantly trying to come up with ways to beat the shift. And while it is generally assumed that power hitters will try to beat the shift by trying to muscle a ball through a defensive shift (or try to muscle it over the fence), the reality is that a well placed shift with a pitcher who pitches into its strengths is difficult for a hitter to defeat.

…difficult but not impossible.

Without question Dodgers first baseman Adrian Gonzalez sees more infield shifts than any other Dodger hitter – and rightfully so. When pitched middle in, Gonzalez is pretty much a dead pull hitter – always has been, always will be. Armed with this knowledge, it is rather easy to chart where he usually hits the ball, thus it is equally easy to figure out where to position the infielders for the greatest margin of success. But here again, the success of the shift is entirely incumbent on the pitcher putting the ball exactly where it needs to be, and that doesn’t always happen.

Through the first half of the season Dodger fans have witnessed AGon square to bunt on a number of occasions while the defense was in a shift. In every case Gonzalez would either take the pitch or he would offer at it and foul it off. But on Sunday afternoon he finally got the pitch he’s been waiting for and he dropped a perfect bunt down the third base line for which there was absolutely no defense.

“I’ve tried to bunt [to beat the shift] before but I’ve never gotten a good pitch to hit,” Gonzalez told Rick Monday and Charlie Steiner during Sunday’s post-game interview. “I usually foul it off but this one was right over the plate. When I square to bunt I’m trying to bunt, I’m not faking it. I won’t do it with a guy in scoring position but if there isn’t, I’ll try it because it’s a base hit.”

With the shift in place, Gonzalez got the perfect pitch to bunt and laid down a beauty for an easy base hit. (Photo credit – Ron Cervenka)

Not only did AGon’s bunt beat the shift, it also ended Cardinals right-hander Shelby Miller’s no-hitter and moved Puig into scoring position. Both Puig and Gonzalez eventually came around to score, thus also ending Miller’s bid for a shutout.

After AGon’s bunt defeated the Cardinals shift, the Dodgers went on to defeat the Cardinals 6-0 behind a stellar pitching performance by Clayton Kershaw. (Photo credit – Ron Cervenka)

While there are many who believe that bunting to break up a no-hitter is against The Baseball Codes or is considered bush-league (and I am among them), when the defense sets up into a shift to gain an advantage over the hitter, all bets are off and it actually becomes an effective strategy to beat the shift – not to mention a deterrent against it.

Well played AGon. Well played indeed.