The Los Angeles Dodgers were down to their final strike in what had been a listless offensive performance. Through 8.2 innings the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim had allowed just two hits and one run.
That was courtesy a Trayce Thomspon solo homer in the eighth. Yasmani Grandal made it back-to-back innings with a home run, as he clubbed a hanging breaking ball over the wall in center field to tie the game.
Granal became the first Dodgers player to hit a game-tying home run with the team down to their final strike since Shawn Green on Aug. 3, 2002.
While Grandal’s homer had the Dodgers in position to force the game into extra innings, his misplay in the bottom of the ninth sealed a walk-off loss.
Ben Revere reached on Chris Taylor’s error with one out, and soon after advanced to second base on a Pedro Baez wild pitch.
Baez proceeded to strike out Cameron Maybin but Grandal dropped the ball. He retrieved it, double-clutched and threw over Chase Utley’s head at first base. That allowed Revere to easily score the game-winning run.
Following the loss, Grandal explained the sequence and put the blame on himself, via Bill Plunkett of the Southern California News Group:
#Dodgers Yasmani Grandal said he was caught off guard by 1) pitch from Baez being down and in changeup not fastball 2) Revere's speed
— Bill Plunkett (@billplunkettocr) June 29, 2017
Set up late in order not to tip location of pitch with runner at 2nd. Was late sliding over to block pitch. Normal situation he blocks it
— Bill Plunkett (@billplunkettocr) June 29, 2017
Double-clutched on throw to 1B when realized Revere was about to round 3B. "As soon as I double-clutched, I pretty much said 'Oh, (fudge)'"
— Bill Plunkett (@billplunkettocr) June 29, 2017
Grandal took blame. "As a catcher, you need to be 20 steps ahead of everything. I guess today I was only 19." #Dodgers #Angels
— Bill Plunkett (@billplunkettocr) June 29, 2017
Taylor’s error was his first of the season, and it was also Baez’s first wild pitch in 2017. The dropped-strike three was Grandal’s seventh passed ball of the year, and the error was his third.
While Cody Bellinger’s height presumably would’ve prevented Grandal’s throw from sailing into right field, a night off his feet defensively was needed for Bellinger, who has appeared in all 60 games since making his MLB debut April 25.
