July 11, 2018

Best Batter Today

Alex Bregman hit two home runs Tuesday night to remain atop the Baseball Musings Batter Rankings. He also set in motion the play that led to Houston beating the Athletics 6-5 in 11 innings:

A visual of the final play of the Astros’ game-winner at Minute Maid Park is even stranger than it reads: Houston defeated Oakland on a ball that traveled five feet and the pooched, raucous-causing swing by Bregman the 11th inning.

Here’s how it happened: Bregman struck weak contact and thought the ball fell foul. He then realized it rolled into fair territory. He saw A’s catcher Jonathan Lucroy field the ball and attempt to tag him. Bregman hopped backward as a reaction and watched Lucroy drop the ball. He hustled down the first-base line and was plunked in the helmet by Lucroy’s attempted throw to first. The A’s catcher’s throw ricocheted into right field and Kyle Tucker scored from second base.

Ballgame.

“That was definitely very weird,” Bregman said.

There is video at the link. Bregman was clearly running in the lane, so there was no interference on the play.

J.D. Martinez, Mike Trout, Paul Goldschmidt, and Mookie Betts fill out the top five, Trout moving up a spot after going 2 for 4 with a walk.

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