On Sunday night at the Globe Life Field, the Los Angeles Dodgers and Tampa Bay Ray continued the 2020 World Series with Game 5 (Gametracker). Rays also won two games in the series from the wild back and forth Game 4. The World Series is now the best of the three.
Thanks to Corey Caesar and Cody Bellinger run-scoring singles, and Jock Pederson solo homer, Los Angeles took an early 3-0 lead over Tyler Glass in Game 5. Keys responded with two runs in the third innings against Clayton Kershaw. Yandi Diaz had an RBI triple and Randy Arozare had an RBI single.
Tampa Bay was all set to tie the game in the fourth. Manuel Margot did the leadoff walk, then stole and went third when Chris Taylor was unable to throw (not good days for Taylor’s glove, huh?). Hunter Ranfro then took a walk after trailing 0-2. There were runners on some corner of Tampa.
The rally was put on life support when Joy Wendell popped up and Willie Ad Dams walked out. With Kevin Kirmier on the plate, Margot broke out in third and tried to steal the house. Kershaw descended the hill, threw home, and applied the Stin Barney tag. Margot was preparing to end the inning. The play is here:
The steels in the house are chaotic and Kershaw did a good job of not bouncing there. He put the steps down and threw them home. Many times you will see the pot, even the giants like Kersho will panic and bounce the ball in the plate and run forward. Kershaw (and Barnes) must have been perfect there and they were.
I’m sure Margot did it herself. Somehow it didn’t come from the dugout. Kershaw has a slow move as he brings his hands up to his head, plus he’s noble and doesn’t see a third base, and Margot was trying to take advantage. If you are going to try to steal at home, when you do it. It just couldn’t work.
The rays did not challenge outside the house and I was surprised. It was a bang-bang play and Margot represented the tying run. Why not take a shot there and hopefully you’ll get a call? After all, teams face two challenges in the postseason. The Tampa video review made people clearly feel that there was enough evidence to support the outcall.
According to ESPN statistics and information, The first time a player has attempted a burglary in a World Series since 2002, when Brad Fulmer took home a double burglary in Game 2, the first time a player in a World Series has been caught stealing a home Since 1991, when Shane Mack was cast in Game 4.
