Bellinger .45 caliber

[BootinUp]

[Ohiogal]

1. What a game.

I'm glad I didn't stay up to watch the whole thing, though! 18 innings, sheesh.

[Auggie]

14. I did ...

in California though.

BTW, ESPN radio announcers said there were 18 hits in 118 at-bats.

[dhill926]

2. and after his bonehead base running play....

the inning before. Helluva game....

[KPN]

3. The throw was high and 12 feet up the base path.

Kinsler looked like a hapless runner everywhere along his misadventurous trip around the bases. Almost picked off at 1st, over-ran/slid (if you can call that a slide) 3rd base, and for some idiotic reason didn’t slide under the or barrel into Grandal (the catcher) at home — either of which would have been normal and may have resulted in safe at home, Sox win, Dodgers down 3 zip. It was like watching Curley (as in Moe, Larry .... 3 stooges) running the bases. Kinsler also made the throwing error on what would have been the 3rd out and win 3 for the Sox, but instead allowed the Dodgers to score the tieing run. Kinsler was the Dodgers hero for the day, not Bellinger. Kinsler may well end up being the Sox’s Bill Buckner of 2018.

But I get your excitement. And it was an epic game.

[erpowers]

5. Was that Legal?

Someone on twitter said running into the catcher would have been illegal. What would have happened if he had ran into the catcher and it was illegal? Would the umpire have given him and his team the score and then just ejected Kinsler?

Is it likely that Kinsler could have been able to make it to Homeplate if he had not tried to slide into third? I realize he might have had to slide into third, but it seemed like he might have had a chance to make it to home plate when the ball sailed past the third baseman.

[KPN]

6. Yes, it's legal at home plate. Happens fairly frequently,

Kinsler barely got back to the bag at 3rd to avoid getting tagged out. Can’t imagine he would have made it home.

He had a bad game overall. Not sure why. He’s got lots of professional experience. Just one of those days I guess. Sox would have been better off leaving Martinez in to run rather than putting Kinsler on as a pinch runner for him. That backfired in a number of ways: the base running, the errant throw to 1st (Sox w/h been better off if Kinsler just held the ball and made no play after he slipped), and it took one of the Sox’s most potent bats out of the line-up for the last 8 extra innings.

But that’s what makes baseball great. The odd little twists and turns in a single game.

[BootinUp]

8. I understand your disappointment but the throw

Was good. No runner could have scored.

[KPN]

10. Disagree. The throw was pretty good.

But good base running would have beat it.

[BootinUp]

13. Ok then.

[KPN]

15. Keep in mind I grew up just outside Boston and have

been a Red Sox fan my whole life. Just doing full disclosure here and admitting my view may involve bias. May being the operative word. 🙂 Saw the replay of it during tonight’s game earlier. It was a strong throw for sure.

Go Sox!

[erpowers]

4. Did He Have to Wait

Did Kinsler have to wait until Bellinger caught the ball before he started running? It seems that part of the reason Kinsler was thrown out was that he waited to start running until after Bellinger caught the ball.

[BootinUp]

7. He didn't have to run at all. He dared Bellinger

And lost

[Iggo]

9. Yep, that's the rule. What Kinsler did is called "tagging up."

Basically, when there's a fly ball, you advance at your own risk. If nobody catches it on the fly (if it hits the ground), the baserunner is free to keep going. But if someone catches it on the fly, you have to be on your base or return to the base you were on (tag up) before they throw it to that base or you're out. So since it was obvious the ball was going to be caught in the air for an out, Kinsler went back to third base to wait for the catch so he could advance.

I'm sure there's an easier way to explain it. But that's basically it, I think.

[KPN]

11. Yes. The runner has to "tag up" before going on a fly out.

Meaning the runner nest touch the base when or after the catch is made befor proceeding.

[Iggo]

12. See? I knew there was an easier way to explain it.