ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Taylor Ward committed a baserunning gaffe that was embarrassing but not costly for the Los Angeles Angels in a 2-0 victory over the San Francisco Giants.
Ward grounded into what he thought was a 5-4-3 double play in the eighth inning Friday night, taking a wide turn around first base and 10-to-12 steps toward second before veering toward the third-base dugout.
Giants first baseman LaMonte Wade Jr. bobbled the low throw but did not see Ward heading toward second and threw the ball to pitcher Lou Trivino.
“I didn’t realize he didn’t catch it,” Ward said Saturday. “I didn’t hear anybody yelling. I didn’t know what was going on. I just saw the catcher running to first base, and that’s when I was like, ‘Something is wrong.’ ”
When he realized his mistake, Ward scrambled back to first base and dived headfirst into the bag, colliding awkwardly with Giants catcher Patrick Bailey, who was unable to handle Trivino’s wide throw as Ward was safe.
“That’s Baseball 101,” Angels manager Ron Washington said. “I think it sent a lesson to everyone that when you touch first base, no matter what happens, if you don’t intend to go to second, then you turn out. He thought he was out. He didn’t know the guy dropped the ball, so he was coming off the field. It didn’t look good, but that wasn’t his intention.”
Three years ago in Houston, Ward singled to right field and took a wide turn around the bag, not realizing Astros catcher Martin Maldonado was behind him covering first base.
Right fielder Kyle Tucker threw to second baseman Jose Altuve, who threw to Maldonado, and he applied the tag on Ward for the out.
“Those are two of the weirdest plays I’ve been a part of,” Ward said of the 2022 play and Friday night’s incident. “It’s a good thing we won, and it’s a good thing I made it back (to the bag). I think it’s just a freak play that will probably never happen again.”
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