Reds pitcher finds key to shutting down the Royals is by removing all of his clothes
Reds pitcher Sonny Gray used an unconventional method for turning around his fortunes at Kauffman Stadium.
The Royals had runners on base in each of the first four innings of Wednesday’s 5-2 loss to the Cincinnati Reds. In the fourth inning, the Royals had three hits and two walks, pushing the game’s first two runs across the plate.
That’s when Gray took matters in his own hands. Gray left the dugout and went into the clubhouse, where he took off his clothes.
Seriously.
“I came into the clubhouse, and I got completely naked, and I changed everything that I was wearing, except for my cleats, because I didn’t want to go out there in white cleats,” Gray said. “I had gray cleats on. So I just tried to cool off. I changed my jersey, my pants, my underwear and my socks. I guess that’s all I was wearing and just tried to like reset and start over. So, I don’t know. That is what I did, and maybe it worked.”
Getting naked apparently did the trick because Gray set down the next nine Royals he faced in order before a 1 hour, 12 minute rain delay. After the Reds scored three runs in the top of the seventh inning and took a 3-2 lead, Gray struck out the side. Then the tarp came out, ending Gray’s day.
Here is Gray talking about his, um, strategy:
This is Gray heading out of the dugout and putting his plan in action:
In may be unorthodox, but Gray got results.
This story was originally published July 8, 2021 at 8:13 AM.
