What The ?
Cody Bellinger hits two-run homer, Dodgers only get one run out of it. Wait, what?
We're barely four hours into MLB Opening Day, and we may have already witnessed the most insane, head-scratching play of the baseball season.
Yes, there are 161 games left and we may be prone to hyperbole, but I don't know, I can't recall ever seeing the odd rule that occurred in the L.A. Dodgers-Colorado Rockies game on Thursday afternoon. In the top of the third inning, with one on, two-time All Star Cody Bellinger belted a shot to deep left center. Rockies left fielder Ramiel Tapia went up to try and rob it, and nearly did, but when he crashed into the wall the ball squirted out of his glove and over the fence. By rule, it was a two-run homer. But things got very strange from there.
Justin Turner, who was on first base, had just rounded second when it appeared as though Tapia had caught the ball at the wall. So Turner turned around and headed back for first base at full speed. While that was happening, Bellinger had rounded first and began making his way to second, crossing paths with Turner. By rule, Bellinger was now out. His two-run homer then became an RBI single in what might be the strangest play you'll see this season:
The trailing runner passing the leading runner has definitely happened before, but we can't recall it ever happening on a ball that left the park. Only in baseball would something so wild happen in the top of the third on Opening Day.
Obviously, this one is on Turner, though the "Bellinger must be stoned" jokes write themselves. But Turner is the one sprinting full speed back to first and crossing paths with Bellinger, who is just trying to get his home run trot in. Brutal break, and one that could prove costly. It's only the fourth inning as of this writing, but L.A. is down 2-1, when it should be tied 2-2.