The Cardinals pulled off a rare and chaotic 3-2-8 double play against the Indians in the second inning of a game they were already losing 4-0. With runners on the corners and one out, the ball went to first baseman Paul Goldschmidt, who threw home to cut down a run. Yadier Molina chased the runner back to third, then turned his attention to Jose Ramirez, who had strayed too far off second. The play broke down when both runners ended up near second base. Center fielder Harrison Bader charged in to apply the final tag, finishing off a bizarre but clean double play.
The odd part was how Ramirez directed Francisco Lindor to retreat to first after seeing no one covering, which should have worked. But Ramirez hesitated, hovered off the second base bag, and allowed Yadi to bait them into a trap. Whether Molina planned it all or just reacted in the moment is unclear, but Cardinals fans would probably give him full credit either way. Ramirez was visibly frustrated after the play, burying his face in his hands.
That frustration didn’t last. Carlos Santana came up next and crushed a 3-1 pitch over the fence, stretching Cleveland’s lead to 6-0. Just like that, the highlight-worthy double play was a footnote.