Imagine trying to explain to your grandkids the most bizarre double play in baseball postseason history—a play so strange, it defies logic. Max Muncy crushes a 404-foot rocket, and somehow, it turns into a 'ground-ball' double play without the ball ever touching the ground. But here's where it gets controversial: Was this a stroke of genius or a colossal blunder by the Dodgers? And this is the part most people miss: How did a play that nearly resulted in a grand slam end with zero runs and two outs recorded by the catcher? Let’s dive into the madness.
On Monday night, during Game 1 of the National League Championship Series, the Dodgers and Brewers delivered an October classic—a nail-biting 2-1 victory for the Dodgers. But the real story? That wacko double play in the fourth inning. It was so bizarre, even the players were left scratching their heads. Here’s the breakdown: Muncy’s towering shot was deflected by center fielder Sal Frelick, who then relayed the ball to shortstop Joey Ortiz, who fired it to catcher William Contreras. Contreras tagged out Teoscar Hernández at home and then trotted to third to nab Will Smith, completing the double play. But wait—there’s no 'ground' in this 'ground-ball' double play. How does that even happen?
The official scorer, Tim O’Driscoll, explains it like this: Since the ball wasn’t caught in the air after Frelick’s deflection, it’s technically a ground-ball double play. But let’s be real—that’s a stretch. Even O’Driscoll admits, 'I’ve scored 2,500 games. Never have I seen that before.' So, was this the strangest postseason double play ever? Some say it rivals the infamous 1980 NLCS play between the Phillies and Astros, where a misjudged catch led to a 20-minute delay and a baffling double play.
Here’s the real question: Could this play have been avoided? Teoscar Hernández forgot to tag up, and Will Smith failed to advance to third. Even Muncy and Tommy Edman got tangled up on the bases. Was this a masterpiece of defensive strategy or a comedy of errors by the Dodgers? Let us know in the comments.
One thing’s for sure: This play will go down in baseball lore as one of the most head-scratching moments ever. As Quinn Priester, the pitcher who started it all, put it, 'Crazy. I guess it was cool to be a part of. But I think I would just rather have gotten a normal groundball.'
So, what do you think? Was this the strangest double play in postseason history? Or is there another play that takes the crown? Let the debate begin!
