This is one of the most bizarre post-game conversations I can remember in recent memory.
On Sunday, Chris Owings hit a bases loaded, walk off single to give the Diamondbacks a 4-3 walk off win over the Reds. But Cincinnati appealed the play over concerns that Jake Lamb, the runner on first, and David Peralta, the runner on second, didn’t properly advance to second and third base respectively.
Well, the Reds’ fears were founded – neither Lamb nor Peralta actually advanced.
However, according to crew chief Larry Vanover, they couldn’t do anything about either Lamb or Peralta. Here’s his explanation.
Here’s explanation of crew chief Larry Vanover,, who isn’t a HS coach as far as I know, but we’ll listen anyway pic.twitter.com/e7jIfBBPIY
— C. Trent Rosecrans (@ctrent) August 10, 2015
You also may notice that the Reds tagged second before third, which would seemingly invalidate the force at third, but that apparently didn’t matter on this play – it all comes down to the runner scoring and the hitter reaching first base.
Here’s the wording of the rule cited by Vanover, via the Arizona Republic.
When the winning run is scored in the last half-inning of a regulation game, or in the last half of an extra inning, as the result of a base on balls, hit batter or any other play with the bases full which forces the runner on third to advance, the umpire shall not declare the game ended until the runner forced to advance from third has touched home base and the batter-runner has touched first base.
Still confused? Yeah, me too. Kind of. Moral of the story? If you’re on the basepaths and your team comes through with a walk off, just be safe and advance to the next base anyway.
