Prepare to have your mind blown! In a stunning display of baseball brilliance (and a touch of confusion), the Milwaukee Brewers pulled off a double play in Game 1 of the National League Championship Series that will be talked about for years to come. Even if neither team takes home the World Series trophy, this play alone guarantees them a spot in baseball highlight reels for decades.
This wasn't just any double play; it was a sequence of events so unusual, so unexpected, that it left players, fans, and even the announcers scratching their heads. It all started with a deep fly ball to left-center field, hit by the Dodgers' third baseman, Max Muncy.
"It’s definitely the worst fielder’s choice, double play I’ve ever hit into in my life," Muncy admitted, perfectly capturing the bewilderment.
Here's a breakdown of the chaos: With the bases loaded and one out in a scoreless game, Brewers center fielder Sal Frelick sprinted towards the wall, attempting a leaping catch. He almost had it, but the ball bounced off his glove. But here's where it gets controversial... The ball didn't hit the ground, and Frelick secured it as it fell. Thinking Frelick had made the catch, the Dodgers' runners, a couple of hundred feet away, didn't realize the ball was still in play.
However, the ball had actually hit the yellow line atop the wall, meaning it was still in play. Frelick then fired the ball towards shortstop Joey Ortiz, who made a perfect relay throw to the plate, barely beating a sliding Teoscar Hernández for the first out. Catcher William Contreras then walked the ball from home plate to third base, stepping on the base to complete the double play, ending the inning. The play is scored as an 8-6-2 double play, which refers to the fielders involved (center field, shortstop, and catcher).
"He made an incredible play in center field," Muncy said of Frelick. "As for what happened after that, I’m not really sure. I’m still kind of confused as to what all went down.”
And this is the part most people miss... The umpires got the call right on the field, and the replay confirmed it. This type of double play is incredibly rare; this was the first 8-6-2 (or 8-6-2-2) double play in the playoffs in at least the last 35 postseasons. The last time something similar happened in the regular season was back in 2004.
What do you think? Did the umpires make the right call? Let me know in the comments!
