Game 7 of the NLCS turned on one wild defensive sequence and some questionable base running. The Braves held a one-run lead with runners on second and third, less than two outs. Then came a grounder to Justin Turner at third. Dansby Swanson broke for home way too early, before confirming the ball got past Turner. Turner cut the run down with a diving tag, then immediately threw to third to get Austin Riley, who had hesitated between second and third. Turner’s play was elite. He laid out to tag Swanson with a superman-style dive, then popped up fast, planted, and delivered a clean throw for a second out. The base running from both Swanson and Riley was a mess. Neither read the play well and it cost the Braves a golden chance to add insurance runs. Instead, the Dodgers escaped only allowing one run in the inning.
The double play shifted momentum. What looked like a chance for Atlanta to break it open ended with two outs and only one run added. That kind of miscue in a tight elimination game is brutal. Turner’s awareness and quick reactions saved it for LA. He tagged Swanson full stretch, then gunned down Riley who tried a desperate swim move into third but was clearly out. It was one of those rare plays that flips everything. Snitker’s reaction said it all: disbelief. You don’t see that sort of double play often, especially in a game with this much on the line.