In an unusual turn of events, the Phillies broadcaster John Crook couldn’t help but groan as the team fell to a 2-1 loss, largely due to JT Realmuto’s poor base running that led to a rare 5-2-6-4 double play ending the game.
With Philadelphia down by a single run and runners positioned on second and third with one out, Realmuto made a questionable decision that dashed any hopes for a walk-off win.
Brandon Marsh, an All-Star, grounded out to third, resulting in Justin Crawford getting trapped in a rundown.
Crawford hesitated before making his move toward home, while Realmuto advanced to third. But as Crawford turned back towards third in a desperate attempt to evade being tagged, Realmuto surprisingly opted to retreat to second base, and it’s hard to say why he did it.
As the play unfolded, Crook exclaimed, “Oh, no JT,” noticing Realmuto’s unwise choice as he jogged back to second, despite the closeness between Crawford and the ball.
Shortstop Mookie Betts doubled off Crawford before quickly tossing the ball to second baseman Tommy Edman, who tagged Realmuto and sealed the game.
“Yeah, JT’s in trouble right now. JT’s out at second base,” added play-by-play commentator Tom McCarthy. “The base running mishaps for the Phillies were pretty glaring tonight, and the Dodgers took the win with a final score of 2-1.”
Realmuto later owned up to his mistake, explaining, “Honestly, it was just a bad base running play. If Crawford gets tagged, I’m on third base. I should’ve stayed there. I thought Crawford was going to get caught, but I just didn’t make the right call.” He seemed genuinely perplexed by his decision-making in the moment.
Following the defeat, the Phillies’ record dropped to 56 wins and 46 losses, though they still hold a decent spot in the NL East race against the Braves, who sit at 58 wins and 42 losses.
The Dodgers, meanwhile, improved to 64 wins and 38 losses, maintaining their status as one of the top teams in the league.
