Zeid reflects on rare plate appearance vs. Nationals

ST. PETERSBURG -- There's a chance that Josh Zeid might have seen his last Major League at-bat when he struck out trying to bunt in the seventh inning Wednesday in Washington.

Zeid, a reliever for an American League team, got the rare opportunity to step to the plate with a runner at first and no outs. Facing Ross Detwiler of the Nationals, he fouled off a bunt, took a ball and then whiffed at a pair of chances to get a bunt down.

"I tried my best," said Zeid, who hadn't faced a professional pitcher in a game since he was in Double-A in 2011. "I give hitting a lot more credit. It looks a lot [easier] than it is. I really wish I could have gotten it down. It would have helped the team."

When Zeid was told he was going to the plate, he had to corral a batting glove, bat and a helmet from teammates.

"I had a lot of stuff to choose from, and they did a good job preparing me," he said. "I was a little out of my element for the time being. That's something I need to work on for us to make myself more valuable in the future, to be able to put a bunt down."

That being said, Zeid admitted it was a nerve-racking experience.

"I know it's a Major League pitcher and he's going to have good control," Zeid said. "You have to keep your eye on the ball and get the bat down. You see the ball and it moves on you and it goes somewhere else. I haven't looked at the video. I'm too afraid to look at the video. So I don't really know how far I missed the ball. I felt like I just kept missing it a little bit."