CLEVELAND (AP) — Guardians rookie left fielder Cooper Ingle lost track of the number of outs in the seventh inning Tuesday night and casually tossed the live ball into the stands as a souvenir, allowing the Texas Rangers to score the go-ahead run.
With a runner at second base and one out, Ingle, making just his second major league start as an outfielder, caught a routine fly ball hit by Rangers Alejandro Osuna for the second out.
Thinking it was out No. 3, Ingle looked at the ball in his glove before throwing it over the protective netting to fans.
The umpires immediately ruled the ball was dead and Osuna was awarded home plate.
It wasn’t until then that Ingle realized his gaffe and walked back to his position in disbelief. He was charged with an error.
Ingle was only brought up from Triple-A Columbus last week and was one of four rookies in Cleveland’s lineup. He made his debut on June 26. He got his first major league hit the next day, a two-run single against Seattle.
Ingle came up in the bottom of the seventh and grounded out.
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