The Dodgers were up 3-0 in the bottom of the ninth with Tanner Scott on the mound looking for the save. The inning started with a two-strike single, giving the Rangers some hope. A hard grounder followed, but Max Muncy made a slick play from his knees to get the lead runner at second. The next batter singled again, putting two men on with one out. Josh Jung stepped up and worked to a two-strike count before hitting a grounder down the third-base line. Muncy fielded it, threw to second for one, then to first. Jung didn’t run, claiming the ball was foul.
Confusion followed. The Dodgers thought it was game over, but Jung insisted the ball was foul. The umpires huddled. The home plate umpire stuck with the original call, saying the ball kicked, stayed fair over the bag, and was touched in fair territory. Bruce Bochy came out to argue, but fair-foul calls down the line can’t be challenged. A replay showed the ball hit near the line, bounced in strange ways, and just clipped the bag before being fielded on the line. The umpire had a great angle and made the right call.
In the end, the Dodgers got the double play, the save, and the win. The umpire made a tough call under pressure, and Muncy stayed sharp the whole way. The only thing missing was Jung not running it out, thinking the play was already dead. That hesitation sealed the loss for Texas.