Angels win thanks to Ji-Man Choi's superhuman splits, a flying Mike Trout and Albert Pujols' blast
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As far as infield double plays are concerned, the first baseman often has the most crucial role. He's the one that will have to sometimes stretch and contort his body in order to reach the baseball flying toward him at a high rate of speed in order to lock down the play.
In the eighth inning of Wednesday's A's-Angels game at Angel Stadium, Ji-Man Choi was that first baseman, and did he ever commit to the play. In fact, his effort was so strong in receiving a quick throw from second baseman Cliff Pennington that he wound up doing the splits without making it seem like the painful struggle most of us would imagine it to be:
That's just very impressive. It's the type of play that warrants an awestruck teammate mimicking it out of reverence.
Choi's big moment was especially helpful since it preserved the Halos' 5-4 lead at the time, and was the first of two huge late-inning double plays they turned en route to an 8-6 win that had its own added element of drama.
Leading off the ninth, Mike Trout reached base on a throwing error, but had to do this in order to make it happen:
Then, Albert Pujols connected on a pitch from A's reliever Ryan Dull to send the Angels home winners on the night:
Never underestimate the value of solid defense, kids.