5 Luckiest Plays In MLB History
As Gant circled first and then returned to beat the relay throw, Hrbek helped shove him off, resulting in an uncommon 7-1-3. Instead of putting David Justice up with men on the corners, Minnesota was out of the inning and went on to win 3-2 on a Scott Leuis home run in the eighth.
4. Scoring bases with a broken bat
You don't win three championships in five seasons without something unusual happening, and the Giants got just that in Game 7 of the 2012 NLCS. Hunter Pence drove a catchable ball up the middle with a 2-0 lead in the third inning. Cardinals rookie shortstop Pete Kozma unexpectedly broke toward third instead of second, resulting in three runs scored when Jon Jay made an error.
However, Kozma's misplay was one of many factors. Slow-motion cameras indicated that Pence splintered his bat and made three contacts with the ball, making it nearly hard for Kozma to interpret accurately.
3. No Catch, Still Out
The Cardinals lead the 2012 NL Wild Card Game 6-3 entering the eighth inning, and that's how the game finished, so it's easy to assume nothing noteworthy occurred. However, at the time, a contentious ruling in favor of the Cards sparked outrage throughout the game. With two on and one out, Andrelton Simmons lucked into a single when shortstop Kozma called for a popup but failed to catch it, allowing the Braves to load the bases.
However, the play was recorded as an infield fly, denying Simmons the hit, leaving the Braves with two outs, and generating a heated scene in Atlanta as fans disputed the ruling. When the game restarted, the Cardinals finished the inning without further damage and advanced to the NLCS. They might have outlasted the Braves even if Simmons was allowed to reach base, but they didn't have to worry about that.
2. Lost Catch, Found
Things were heated in Game 6 of the 1980 World Series, with the Phillies leading 4-0 and six outs from their first World Series triumph. The Royals fielded the first two players against Steve Carlton before pulling him for Tug McGraw. McGraw got Frank White to pop up in the foul area, and catcher Bob Boone settled beneath it for the out.
But Boone fumbled the grab, and for a moment, you could imagine the entire city of Philadelphia holding its breath. With the top of the Royals' lineup approaching, a second chance may have been all they needed. But the Phillies fans didn't need to worry since the baseball gods were smiling at them.
The ball that Boone was unable to catch bounced right to first baseman Pete Rose, who had come over to assist with the play. Rose quickly retrieved the loose ball for the out, and the Royals had missed a seemingly perfect opportunity.
1. Tampa Bay Rays move on after topping in the Wild Card Games
Do you recall Robert Andino, a Rays fan? Probably not. After all, he was a little-known utility infielder who never appeared for Tampa Bay. But you certainly recall the chaotic last day of the 2011 season, when the Rays completed a madcap run to the AL Wild Card slot when Dan Johnson tied the season finale with a ninth-inning homer, setting up Evan Longoria to win it with his own walkoff homer in the 12th.
Of course, none of this would have mattered if the Red Sox hadn't staged a spectacular collapse to set the Rays up. Boston got Baltimore down to its last strike just moments before Longoria's home run. Andino hit a ball to left field that Carl Crawford was unable to catch, giving the Orioles a walk-off victory. Without Andino, Tampa Bay's heroics would have been for nothing.
Also Read: How Did Willie Mays Die? Find Out Baseball Legend’s Cause of Death
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