Dodgers almost hit grand slam, ended up with ZERO runs instead, a breakdown
What Happened
In Game 1 of the 2022 National League Championship Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Milwaukee Brewers, the Dodgers have the bases loaded in the bottom of the fourth inning. Max Muncy of the Dodgers steps up to the plate, hoping to capitalize on the opportunity and give his team a big lead. Muncy connects and sends a deep fly ball to the outfield, and the crowd erupts in anticipation of a grand slam home run. However, as the ball approaches the wall, Dodgers outfielder Cody Bellinger leaps up, seemingly making the catch. Muncy immediately begins celebrating, believing he has just hit a game-changing grand slam. But the umpire on the field quickly signals that the ball has hit the wall, not Bellinger's glove. The play becomes chaotic as the Dodgers players and coaches try to figure out what exactly has happened. Brewers infielders correctly realize the ball was not caught, and they start throwing the ball around the infield, trying to get the runners out. Ultimately, the umpires review the play and determine that it was not a catch, and the Dodgers end up with a fielder's choice and a double play instead of the expected grand slam. Muncy and the Dodgers are stunned, going from the thrill of a potential four-run homer to the disappointment of an inning-ending double play. The umpires deserve credit for getting the call right, as it was a complex and confusing play. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts and the players on both teams appear baffled by the sequence of events. In the end, the Brewers escape the bases-loaded jam without surrendering any runs, a stunning turn of events that leaves everyone in the stadium scratching their heads.
Full Transcript
Click timestamps to jump to that momentAnd NLCS game one between the Brewers and the Dodgers.
We got bases juiced, fourth inning.
This one's brought to you by DraftKings.
And one of the more insane scenarios I've ever seen play out in a big moment.
Muncy thinks he's got a four-run grand slam, a four-run lead.
He thinks he's got a catch.
He still thinks he has a catch.
He fires it to the infield.
They fire it home.
Everyone thought they were going to go to third to get the runner tagging up.
But he's out at home.
And then Contreras is going to run to third.
And guess what?
He's out too.
Who?
Two outs.
It went from grand slam to inning-ending double play.
No one knows what's going on.
Eyeballs are twitching out.
Someone explain it to me, please.
They're on the phone.
Like, what can we do about this?
Do we have any?
Can we fight?
What the fuck just happened?
What?
Did I catch it?
No.
Okay, so he ran home.
But he's got to tag up.
Because they said he was out.
But if the play's over there, he's like, uh, it's a force out.
And we got the other on the force out.
What?
Caleb Durham's like, what?
Okay, okay.
Explain it to me again.
Okay.
But why is he out?
He didn't tag him.
So why is he out at home?
Everyone's confused.
Let's just pause.
Freelick turns.
Show me this replay.
I'm just like, let's get together.
Let's watch this bad boy.
The eye concentration off the charts.
The.
The ball's in the glove.
It pops out.
It did hit the wall right there.
So it's not a catch.
It's not an out.
But he gathers it and throws it in.
And then turns around looking like that scene in Beauty and the Beast.
When he's like attacking all the wolves.
I mean, just a crazy, crazy look on this hair wave and turn.
Insane.
So anyway.
It almost was a phenomenal catch.
But hit the palm.
It did hit the wall.
I don't think he knows it hit the wall.
I don't think Collins knows it hit the wall either.
But you know who knew?
The ump down the left field line was all over it.
And if he does not get this call correct, it is sloppy.
It is chaos.
It is terrible.
He gets it correct immediately and emphatically.
Safe, safe, safe.
Starts waving his hand.
Safe, safe, safe, safe, safe, safe.
Now, the other thing.
The other thing is an outfielder cannot bobble the ball forever.
Juggle it on his way to the infield.
So all the runners have to tag up and pause.
As soon as the ball makes contact with the fielder, the runner can and should tag.
That's not what happens here.
It hits his glove.
He thinks he caught it.
So he leaves the bag.
Then he sees that he didn't catch it.
It bobbled.
He goes back.
He doesn't have to do that.
He can just still go right now the entire time.
But he goes back.
Tags up again.
Then heads home.
It's a force out because he did not catch the ball.
It's just like a routine double play at this point.
And the ball beat him to the back.
So he's out.
But Kike's saying, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no.
It's a home run.
No, it's a home run.
Because that's cooler and that's better.
Not the only Dodger to be confused, though.
Glass now, I think he had the right read on it.
He goes, oh, he's the one standing up in the middle.
Oh, and then he goes, wait, what?
What?
It's caught.
Meanwhile, Kopech to his left.
He's signaling home run.
Home run, home run.
No one really knows.
Will Smith on the bases.
He did not see it hit the wall.
He's screaming.
In fact, go back, go back, go back, go back.
Let's not get doubled up.
Go back, go back.
Let's not get doubled up because he thinks they caught it.
I think both outfielders think it was a catch.
I don't think he realized it hit the wall.
He's bouncing around.
He lost his hat.
Probably thinking about that.
Collins.
Collins celebrates out right here.
He kind of goes, yeah, out.
Unless he's just doing a fist pump.
But I think he's celebrating out.
But both Brewers infielders had the play going to home.
Means they knew he didn't catch it.
He's just turning and firing home.
And that confused me because I thought he caught it in live time
because the announcer said he caught it.
And then I thought they were going to go to third with this ball
because he had probably left early and tagged up.
They're going to double him up.
But these infielders knew it.
So they had a better read on it than Will Smith, the base runner.
He's maybe.
Locked.
And the ball beats him for the force out.
And then they're like, let's get another.
Look at that.
Crazy play.
Base is loaded.
Muncie gets a hold of one.
It's a single in the book, I guess.
But a double play.
No, it's not a single.
No, it's a fielder's choice double play.
Duh, Jimmy.
Anyway, the umps come back and they're like,
hey, guess what?
We fucking nailed it.
After a view.
In the field, the force out at home plate is confirmed.
The runner is out.
It's confirmed on the runner at third base when the force out is out.
Wow.
Whoa.
Wow.
Wow is right.
Muncie thought he just hit a grand slam.
Kind of stops and watches it.
This guy behind him thought he had a grand slam and he was upset.
And kudos to this umpire for running out there and getting the call correct.
Because had he botched it, it's chaos.
I've done breakdowns a couple.
When they get it wrong.
And then they're like, but where do the base runners go?
But boom, both managers usually end up very mad.
Thank you very much to DraftKings for making this happen.
Thank you for this play taking place after all of my kids were in bed on paternity leave.
So breakdowns are a little slower right now, but I appreciate.
Yeah.
And this one happened to perfect timing.
I was like, oh yeah, let's do it.
That's insane.