Matt Carpenter lays down a bunt for a double, a breakdown

Jun 18, 2019 256.9K views 2:17

What Happened

Matt Carpenter, the veteran infielder for the St. Louis Cardinals, steps up to the plate in the bottom of the 5th inning with two outs. The Cardinals trail by one run in this close game. Carpenter has already hit a solo home run earlier, showing his power at the plate. On a 1-0 count, Carpenter decides to lay down a bunt. The Miami Marlins have the shift on, with five defenders positioned in the outfield. As Carpenter squares around, the Marlins pitcher Eliezer Hernandez throws a slider. Carpenter expertly places the bunt down the third base line, with no one covering that area due to the extreme defensive alignment. By the time Hernandez reaches the ball, Carpenter is already sprinting down the line. The St. Louis crowd erupts in cheers, recognizing the crafty play by their veteran slugger. Carpenter easily makes it to second base for a double, much to the delight of the home fans. "Look at the St. Louis crowd, they're going nuts," the announcer exclaims. "They've been drinking a little bit, sure, but they're having a good time after the Stanley Cup." Carpenter tips his cap to the crowd, acknowledging their enthusiastic response to his unexpected bunt. Replays show the ball slowly rolling down the line as Hernandez jogs after it, realizing too late that no one was positioned to field the bunt. "Carpenter books it out of the box," the announcer says. "He's like, 'Yeah, I'll take a free double all day, baby.'" This heads-up play by Matt Carpenter demonstrates his baseball IQ and ability to capitalize on the defense's overshift. The double sparks the Cardinals' offense, as they look to take the lead late in this close divisional matchup against the Marlins.

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right Eliezer Hernandez pitch 69 nice

throw in a nice game one run and it's to