MLB
Alex Bregman's move to dodge an easy tag out forced an error from the Athletics that proved to be the game winner.
- The Houston Astros beat the Oakland Athletics on Tuesday night thanks to a bizarre final sequence.
- After hitting a dribbler just in front of home plate, Alex Bregman dodged the tag of catcher Jonathan Lucroy, who bobbled the ball after his miss.
- Lucroy threw to first in an attempt to save the out, but missed his throw, leading to a walk-off error and a win for the Astros.
The Houston Astros beat the Oakland Athletics with a walk-off error on Tuesday night in a wild final sequence.
Momentum seemed to be heading in the Athletics direction late in the game - Oakland had tied the game to force extra innings with three runs scored in the ninth, and a home run from Stephen Piscotty gave the road team a 5-4 lead in the top of the 11th.
The Astros got one run back thanks to a fielder's choice to tie the game again and would go on to win in baffling fashion.
Alex Bregman stepped to the plate with one out and runners on first and second, needing only a solid hit to bring in the game-winning run. Instead, Bregman took a big swing on the ball, and just barely made contact, sending a dribbler no more than six feet from home plate. The ball spun into fair territory, and catcher Jonathan Lucroy made a move to grab it and tag Bregman out.
But a crafty dodge by Bregman made Lucroy miss and bobble the ball, which then bounced off of umpire David Rackley before falling to the ground. When Lucroy recovered, he attempted to save the out with a throw to first base, but missed wide and wound up allowing the winning run to trot home comfortably on the error.
It was without a doubt one of the most bizarre endings you'll ever see to a baseball game.
"That's when we were playing dodgeball there for a couple of seconds," Lucroy said of the bobbled ball. "That was just a big mess, a big zoo behind the plate there. Hopefully I never have to see that again. That's the first time that's ever happened in my eight years. Hopefully it's the last time."
Chances are it will be - it's difficult to imagine such a baffling sequence of events cursing the same catcher twice.