Randy Arozarena took full advantage of MLB’s rule changes encouraging stolen bases. He swiped second and third without a single throw. On the first steal, he slid into second, looked confused, and checked if the play was still live. The ball had just kicked off Alejandro Kirk’s glove and hit the backstop, so he was safe with no challenge. With a right-handed batter blocking the catcher, Randy saw his chance to take third. He danced off second, then took off. His helmet bounced around wildly but stayed on through the sprint, only flying off as he slid into third base. Again, no throw came.
Julio Rodríguez was batting and his position gave Randy cover, which helped with both steals. The lack of catcher throws and the batter positioning showed how the recent rules favor aggressive baserunning. After the back-to-back steals, the defense had to bring the infield in, which opened the door for a run-scoring ground ball. Plays like this show how the return of stolen bases adds energy and unpredictability that had disappeared from the game for a few years.