Baseball is so awesome because there’s really no such thing as a buzzer beater. There are, occasionally, walk-off plays to end games, though, and they’re almost always insane.
And, a lot of times, those walk-offs are determined by literal inches. That’s why it’s important to put players in a position to succeed. And that’s why managers are so important.
But that’s exactly what Dodgers’ manager Dave Roberts didn’t do on Friday against the Giants.
In the bottom of the 11th up against the Dodgers with the score tied 2-2, Posey knocks the ball between first and second for what seems like it’ll be a routine out.
And here’s where things get sticky.
I'm at the edge of my seat here
Trea Turner fields the ball and throws a slightly wild dart to first base where Will Smith is waiting to make the catch.
Then this happens.
BUSTER BEATS THE THROW AND THE GIANTS WIN pic.twitter.com/LK3uD7GJqf
— SF Giants on NBCS (@NBCSGiants) September 4, 2021
Posey just barely makes it to first to stay safe and win the game for the Giants. But if you pay close attention, he doesn’t actually beat the ball to first.
Will Smith had his foot off the bag when he caught the ball. Posey made it through because of that.
Wow, what an error!
Yup. That’s a huge error. It literally cost the Dodgers the game, their series against the Giants and a spot in first place. It was an absolute disaster.
And it all stemmed from this one play. A play where Smith was playing a position he probably wasn’t supposed to in the first place.
Wait, what?
Smith is not a first baseman. He hasn’t played first base at all in his short career so far.
He’s primarily a catcher. But because the Dodgers were in a pinch at the position late in the game, he had Smith at first with no experience playing it in a high-level situation.
And this is what happened.
I don’t blame Will Smith. But this is what happens when Dave Roberts experiments with the bullpen and moving around position players. Welcome to 2nd place. #Dodgers pic.twitter.com/xy2d0YaGVC
— High Desert People (@HighDesertPeeps) September 4, 2021
You absolutely hate to see it. That’s a tough way to lose. It’s not all over — there’s still plenty of baseball left to be played. But this might be a tough one to bounce back from.
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