Multiple Giants errors lead to Mookie Betts base running blunder, a breakdown

Jul 1, 2023 364.0K views 4:11

What Happened

In a tense bottom of the 11th inning, the Los Angeles Dodgers trail the San Francisco Giants by two runs. Mookie Betts, the Dodgers' star outfielder, steps up to the plate with one out and the Manfred Man on second base. Betts crushes a game-tying home run, sending the Dodger Stadium crowd into a frenzy. The game now tied 5-5, Giants pitcher John Junis returns to the mound. He works carefully against Betts, repeatedly throwing pitches that move away from the powerful hitter. Betts fouls off a 2-2 pitch, bringing the count full. On the next offering, Betts pops the ball up to the infield. What follows is a sequence of errors and miscues by the Giants. Junis calls off the third baseman, then fumbles the easy catch, flinging the ball wildly into right field. The runner on second, sensing a chance to score, rounds third, but the third base coach holds him up. Meanwhile, Betts, seeing the ball get away, takes off for third base, ignoring the coach's stop sign. The Giants execute a rundown, with shortstop Brandon Crawford chasing down Betts between second and third. Betts tries to evade the tag, but is ultimately caught in a rundown and tagged out. The chaos allows the Giants to record the second out of the inning, narrowly avoiding a potentially disastrous situation. Freddie Freeman, the Dodgers' star first baseman, steps to the plate with a runner on third and two outs. Junis tries the same pitch sequence against him, but Freeman is unable to capitalize, striking out weakly to end the inning. Despite the multiple Giants errors, the Dodgers' baserunning blunder ultimately proves to be the costliest mistake. The Giants, grinning and laughing, have escaped the jam and preserved their two-run lead. The game will head to the 12th inning, with the Dodgers still seeking to tie the score and avoid a crushing defeat in this heated NL West rivalry.

Full Transcript

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Bottom of the 11th inning, Mookie coming to the plate.

This breakdown is brought to you by DraftKings.

There's already one out.

The Manfred man is on second base.

The Dodgers are down by two.