Addison Barger has done nothing but contribute positively for the Toronto Blue Jays all season long. In fact, he is currently boasting an OPS of 1.009 in this year’s postseason and scored one run for Toronto on Friday night in Game 6 of the World Series, helping to put some pressure on Yoshinobu Yamamoto.
Then, in the ninth inning, Barger appeared to have yet another magical October moment. He hit a fly ball to deep left field with one runner on and no outs. The ball looked like it had a chance to clear the fence, but it fell short. Instead, it wedged itself straight underneath the padding on the outfield wall.
As a result, the Dodgers called for a dead ball, and the umpires ruled it as such—correctly so—limiting Barger to a ground-rule double and stranding lead runner Myles Straw at third base.
Fans on social media were quick to react. Blue Jays supporters especially questioned why the ball was ruled dead when it seemed fieldable. However, the rulebook clearly states that balls lodged under the padding in this manner are considered ground-rule doubles.
On X, user @DamnItdale88 commented, “Was able to get the ball out just fine after he stopped waving his hands. The luck that Dodgers have had is crazy. Even God wants them to win. Nothing to do when God isn’t on your side I guess.”
Another fan, @swarnadc, added, “Why not just have the bottom of the wall be a strip of plastic or something with no give so balls don’t get lodged?”
User @Space__Pug further questioned, “He played the ball while Barger was still running the bases and crossed home, should that not negate the ‘lodged’ rule? The ball was clearly playable and he should’ve just left it entirely for the umps to decide but, it was playable.”
And @jhart9243 expressed frustration, “Umpires just saved LA.”
Blue Jays Lose on Addison Barger’s Basrunning Gaffe
In Game 3, the Blue Jays couldn’t capitalize on several chances to take the lead, as their aggressive baserunning was punished by heads-up fielding from the Dodgers. Now, in Game 6, Barger’s resilience and mental fortitude were put to the test.
To end the game, Barger was caught out on second base after Kike Hernandez threw a perfect bullet to Miguel Rojas. Barger had strayed too far from the base, leading to the critical out.
The Blue Jays’ veterans will need to reel in the 25-year-old outfielder and encourage him to shrug off this blunder. After all, there’s still a Game 7 to play, and the team will need Barger firing on all cylinders.
https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/toronto-blue-jays/blue-jays-news-fans-cant-believe-addison-barger-blast-ruined-by-dead-ball