After lining a ball right into the New York Mets’ shift in the bottom of the eighth inning of Monday’s game, Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard gave up on the play.
The problem with that is the ball did not end up being caught. It was still a live play as Howard started to make his way back to the dugout.
Mets second baseman Wilmer Flores gave a great effort to try to snag Howard’s liner, but when his glove hit the ground, the ball popped out. Seeing that the runner thought the play was over, he threw to first base from the ground.
Out.
Howard attempted to beat the throw but was unable to get to the bag in time. After he was called out, the slugger threw up his hands in disbelief.
It’s hard to get on Howard—a 12-year MLB veteran—too much for giving up on the play. It did appear as though Flores caught the ball. However, there’s a reason youth baseball coaches teach their players to run out every play. You never know what can happen.
Howard did hit a three-run homer earlier in the game, so despite this play and his team’s 16-7 loss, he did have a highlight on the night.
[MLB.com]
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