MILWAUKEE (AP) — Max Muncy was inches away from hitting a grand slam for the Los Angeles Dodgers to open the scoring within the Nationwide League Championship Collection.
Little did he know his 404-foot drive as an alternative would finish the highest of the fourth inning Monday night time in one of the crucial incredible plays of this or any postseason.
“It’s positively the worst fielder’s alternative/double play I’ve ever hit in my life,” Muncy stated after the Dodgers’ 2-1 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers in Recreation 1.
Right here’s how Muncy’s potential grand slam became an uncommon 8-6-2 double play:
With the bases loaded and one out, Muncy hit an extended drive to heart subject, the place Sal Frelick jumped and reached over the wall in an try and make the catch.
The ball popped out of Frelick’s glove and hit the highest of the fence earlier than Frelick caught it within the air. Muncy wasn’t dominated out as a result of the ball hit the wall — however the Dodgers’ runners scrambled again to their bases considering the ball was caught on a fly.
“I didn’t see it hit the wall,” stated Will Smith, who was on second base. “I simply thought he type of introduced it again in and caught it.”
Aaron Gash by way of Getty Photographs
Aaron Gash by way of Getty Photographs
Frelick fired to shortstop Joey Ortiz, who rapidly relayed a strike to catcher William Contreras. Conscious a drive was nonetheless in impact, Contreras alertly stretched for the throw together with his proper foot on house plate, quite than place himself for a tag that might have been essential if the ball hadn’t hit the wall.
Contreras caught the ball earlier than Teoscar Hernández slid throughout the plate, forcing out Hernández after he had hesitated at third base.
“Teo is aware of the rule. I feel proper there he had just a bit little bit of a mind fart, appreciating that when it does hit the glove, you possibly can tag (up) there,” Dodgers supervisor Dave Roberts stated. “However then he tagged, did it accurately, then noticed he didn’t catch it, (and) he went again. That was the error. However he owned it. And after that, there’s nothing else you are able to do about it.”
After the forceout at house plate, Contreras neatly obtained up and jogged to 3rd to drive out Smith, too.
Smith had gone again to second when he thought Frelick made a clear catch.
“From house plate, I had a fairly good view of it,” Contreras stated by way of an interpreter. “I might inform just about immediately it hit off the wall. Instantly as soon as it hits off the wall, you recognize that ball is performed reside. Large job by the blokes there simply doing what we would have liked to do to complete that play off.”
As all of it was growing, Frelick had his arms out with a quizzical look on his face, questioning what precisely had simply occurred — not not like many followers.
The Dodgers challenged the decision, however a replay assessment confirmed the forceouts at house and third for a most uncommon inning-ending 8-6-2 double play.
Umpires known as it accurately in actual time all over the play.
“Truthfully, I didn’t know they dominated it a no-catch,” Roberts stated. “I simply wished readability on the entire state of affairs. After which type of ensuring that they obtained a few forceouts, which they did. And finally, these guys and replay, the blokes on the sphere obtained it proper. They nailed it.”
At 404 toes, it was the second-longest projected distance on a batted ball leading to a double play since Statcast monitoring started in 2015 — regular-season video games included.
There had not been an 8-6-2 double play within the postseason over the past 35 years, the Elias Sports activities Bureau stated. These kind of official scoring particulars should not at all times clear in information going again any additional.
The newest 8-6-2 double play within the common season concerned a ball hit by Cubs slugger Sammy Sosa to Cincinnati heart fielder Ken Griffey Jr. in April 2004 — although that one ended with a tag on the plate.
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