The element of surprise didn't help Nelson Cruz when he attempted a walkoff steal of home Friday night.
Cruz, the majors' home run leader, took off with two outs in the bottom of the 10th, only to be retired easily.
MORE: Gausman coming back up | Scoreboard | MLB Draft grades
One other thing: Chris Davis, last year's home run leader, was at the plate. Left-handed hitter to boot. Easier play for catcher Derek Norris.
Cruz told reporters after that game that he saw an opportunity to make a play.
Cruz said he wanted to be aggressive and get something going with two strikes on Davis: "I thought I had a shot, so I went for it.”
— Susan Slusser (@susanslusser) June 7, 2014Orioles manager Buck Showalter had a similar response.
"Saw it, felt it, went for it, didn't work out," he told reporters (per The Associated Press).
For the record, Cruz entered the game 1-for-4 in steal tries this season.
The O's lost to the A's, 4-3 in 11 innings.