Simple popup leads to 'one of the craziest plays in the history of the game'

LOS ANGELES – Throughout their storied rivalry, the Dodgers and Giants have seen just about everything on a baseball field. At least that’s what we thought.

In the Dodgers’ 7-5 loss to the Giants on Friday at Dodger Stadium, there was one play in the bottom of the 11th inning that created as much chaos and confusion as you’ll ever see in a big league ballpark. Let us explain.

It all started with one out, and Michael Busch on second base as the automatic runner and the Giants leading, 7-5. Mookie Betts popped up a Jakob Junis slider near the mound. When he hit it, Betts knew he was out, dropping his head as he lightly jogged down the first-base line. But as the ball hung in the air, it became clear that Giants third baseman Casey Schmitt was having trouble tracking the ball. Schmitt ultimately had the ball ricochet off his glove and land safely for an error.

For a split second it looked as if the Dodgers were going to have two on, one out for Freddie Freeman. The Giants, however, found a way to make a bad play even worse once Junis picked up the ball and decided to try and throw out Betts, who was easily safe at first. The throw sailed past the bag and into foul territory down the right-field line.

“I literally threw it, and I was so shocked that I threw the ball, let alone into right field,” Junis said. “I don’t know if I’ve ever done that before. I was so shocked that I did it and dumbfounded at what was transpiring that I didn’t even know what was happening behind me.”

Well, all hell was breaking loose behind Junis.

Once Junis launched his throw into right field, Busch put his head down and took off for third. Busch, as he was supposed to in that situation, took a hard turn around the bag and headed home. He stopped once third-base coach Dino Ebel threw up the stop sign.

The only problem for the Dodgers was that Betts never saw Busch stop and flew past second base and took off for third. After a series of mistakes by the Giants, it was the Dodgers’ turn to mess up in the wackiest sequence of the season. Busch was caught in a rundown and tagged out. Betts wound up at third. But Freeman struck out, ending the game.

"When I peeked up at him I saw a whole bunch of white. It happened really fast. Just messed it up,” Betts said. “I just thought wrong. I saw the play wrong. I was wrong. I did it wrong.”

When Mike Yastrzemski picked up Junis' errant throw in the outfield, it even took him a few seconds to figure out what was going on. He saw Betts caught in between. And because of Betts’ confusion, now Busch was sitting between third and home, not knowing exactly what to do.

“Initially, I was covering third, and when I saw Mookie coming, I knew we had to get one of them out,” said Giants shortstop Brandon Crawford. “When Yaz threw the ball into me, and I figured he would be the easiest out, so that’s why I was running him back.”

As Crawford mentioned, the Giants made the right decision by securing one out. Once Betts was caught in a rundown, Busch broke for home to try and force a throw to the plate. Thairo Estrada delivered a strike and Busch was ultimately tagged out near third base.

“I had to watch the replay of it like three or four times,” said Giants manager Gabe Kapler. “It was such a strange play. One of the stranger ones I’ve been a part of. I don’t know what to say about it, it’s just so weird.”

Giants TV announcer Dave Flemming concluded his call of the sequence by saying it was "one of the craziest plays in the history of the game."