Sometimes, there is nothing routine about a routine play. That was the case for Max Muncy and the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday.
The Dodgers led the Philadelphia Phillies 4-3 in the bottom of the 10th inning. Philadelphia’s chances appeared slim when Justin Turner deked J. T. Realmuto, turning runners on the corners with no outs situation into a runner on first, one-out situation. But the Phillies clawed back and got runners on second and third with two outs Alec Bohm at the plate. But when Bohm hit a ground ball to second base, the game appeared over. It was — just not in the way we expected.
Muncy booted the ball, allowing Garrett Stubbs to score the tying run. While the ball didn’t get far from Muncy, he briefly struggled to find and retrieve it. That opened the door for speedster Roman Quinn, who was running hard the whole way, to score the winning run from second base.
Muncy was an All-Star and finished 10th in National League MVP voting in 2021. But Sunday’s mistake was the latest in a 2022 season that’s been a signficant struggle for him. And following his error, he was heavily criticized.
https://twitter.com/NotBryceLmao/status/1528484075186561024
Of course, there are two parts to every play. So, while Muncy earned a lot of criticism for his gaffe, Quinn was praised for his speed and hustle.
Roman Quinn saved the season.
— Aidan Doc
(@AidanDoc_) May 22, 2022
Quinn had extended the game during his at-bat with a single to right field. He advanced to second when the Dodgers unsuccessfully tried to throw Stubbs out at third. So, he definitely deserves Player of the Game honors.
About Michael Dixon
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