It seems that every baseball game offers something that you’ve never seen before — or a rule that warrants further explanation.
That play in Friday night’s game between the Mets and Dodgers came in the top of the third inning and one out with two runners on base for the Dodgers.
The Dodgers’ Mookie Betts shot a line drive into right-center field, and both Juan Soto and Tyrone Taylor converged on the ball. The ball rattled in and out of Soto’s glove but Taylor, in a full sprint, was able to adjust as the ball popped free and grab it with his bare right hand before it hit the ground.
At nearly the same time, the Dodgers’ Michael Conforto tagged up from second base and Shohei Ohtani did the same from first.
It appeared Conforto left before Taylor had complete control of the ball, but the ruling uncovered a unique technicality. According to MLB rules, a runner can leave the base once the ball initially makes contact with the glove and does not have to wait until the catch is made.
The rule prevented a potential inning-ending double play as Francisco Lindor stepped on second base. It extended the inning, which was stopped for rain with the Mets’ Griffin Canning facing Freddie Freeman with two outs in the top of the third.
The Mets and Dodgers remained scoreless, with the latter threatening with a pair of runners in scoring position.
As for the rest of the game, the Mets lost to the Dodgers in a rain-soaked, extra innings affair despite a valiant ninth-inning comeback in which the Amazin’s rallied from three runs down to tie the game. They had chances to win it in the 10th, 11th and 12th frames after holding the Dodgers scoreless in the top halves, but the slumping offense couldn’t come through.
Finally, the Dodgers broke through the impasse in the top of the 13th with two runs, putting them ahead to stay. They would wind up winning 7-5 in the longest Mets game of the ghost runner era.
The Mets and Dodgers will square off again Saturday night at Citi Field.
