Little has gone right for the Los Angeles Dodgers as they have lost 13 of their past 17 games after getting off to a blistering 13-2 start this season. One of the bad breaks involved Justin Turner in the 10th inning of Wednesday’s loss to the Chicago Cubs.
With two outs and runners at the corners, Max Muncy drove an RBI double that hit off the wall in left-center field. Gavin Lux jogged home but Turner was thrown out on his attempt to score an insurance run.
There were questions surrounding the play, which Turner explained during an Instagram live appearance with David Vassegh on AM 570 L.A. Sports:
“The situation was first and third with Muncy up, and there’s two outs obviously. I was running on the pitch but the play is to steal, and if Muncy obviously doesn’t swing or hit the ball, is to stop and get in a rundown and try to score that extra run. I didn’t get a great jump and I was planning on stopping halfway. Once Muncy hit the pitch, I got going and it took a perfect relay and a catcher completely blocking the plate. … He does that all the time.”
The Dodgers challenged the play at the plate and appeared to have an argument due to Willson Contreras blocking the plate. However, their attempt was unsuccessful. “That was our visual, that Justin didn’t have any plate to slide into,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said after the loss in 11 innings.
“Granted, he got the ball, but even before that. It’s a little bit unclear, and we just felt it was worth a challenge.”
Catchers are not permitted to block the plate unless they have already received the ball or the throw takes them in that direction. As evidenced Wednesday night, it is a rule that isn’t enforced with much clarity or consistency.
Justin Turner Foundation 5K
Still unable to interact with Dodgers fans as the country continues to navigate a recovery from coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, Justin and Kourtney Turner organized a “Turner Trot” virtual 5K from May 14-16 to support the Justin Turner Foundation and its beneficiaries.
Registration for the “Turner Trot” is still open, though options for the All-Star and MVP tiers sold out. Still available is a Major Leaguer registration ($45) along with a variety of sponsorship opportunities.
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