New York Yankees rookie Spencer Jones made some bizarre baseball history in Game 2 of the AL Wild Card Series, becoming the first player to strike out starting and ending a postseason inning in which he also scored.
asserted
he → make → which
With the Yankees leading Boston 2-1 on Wednesday night, Jones reached leading off the sixth after swinging over Garrett Crochet’s sweeper in the dirt.
asserted
Jones → lead → dirt
Jones reached on the wild pitch and scored to spark a six-run inning that ended when he swung over Garrett Whitlock’s slider.
asserted
he → reach → slider
New York went on to a 9-2 win for a two-game sweep and a Division Series matchup with AL East champion Tampa Bay.
asserted
York → go → Bay
The Elias Sports Bureau said Thursday that no player had ever scored in a postseason inning he started and ended by striking out.
asserted
he → say → inning
Elias also determined no player had done that in the regular season since the expansion era began in 1969.
asserted
era → determine → 1969
“Baseball can be a wacky sport,” Yankees outfielder Cody Bellinger said.
asserted
Bellinger → say → ?
“You see something new every day.”
asserted
You → see → something
Jones sprinted to first base when Crochet’s sweeper bounced off Adley Rutschman’s chest.
asserted
sweeper → sprint → chest
The catcher picked up the ball and threw to first, where umpire John Libka signaled that Jones was out.
asserted
Jones → pick → first
The Yankees appealed and the call was reversed by the video umpire at the commissioner’s office.
asserted
call → appeal → office
“It’s a great thing to be able to get on the bases I guess any way possible, but I was always told if you run hard, good things are going to happen, and that turned out to be the case,” Jones said.
asserted
Jones → ’ → bases
It turned out to be perhaps the key moment of the game.
asserted
It → turn → game
“I couldn’t believe he was there,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said.
asserted
Boone → believe → ?
“I saw the ball squirt away a little bit.
asserted
ball → see → ?
I didn’t think that much of it, and looked up and I was, like, ’Oh, he’s safe.’”
asserted
he → think → it
Jones stole second and kept going to third when Rutschman’s throw skipped into center field for an error.
asserted
throw → steal → error
New York then broke open the game on rookie George Lombard Jr.‘s RBI single against Crochet, Austin Wells’ sacrifice fly against Whitlock, Ryan McMahon’s run-scoring groundout and a three-run homer by Bellinger that followed an intentional walk to Ben Rice.
asserted
that → break → Rice
A third-generation major leaguer who has been around big league clubhouses since he was a toddler, Boone was asked after the game whether he had ever struck out twice and scored in the same inning.
asserted
he → ask → inning
“Probably,” he said, rubbing his chin.
asserted
he → say → chin
Then, he pointed a finger as his eyes brightened.
asserted
eyes → point → finger
“Ah, in the regionals my junior year, I led off, I made two outs and walked,” he said, before breaking into a smile and adding: “I’m assuming I scored.”
asserted
I → lead → smile
Southern California’s media information department was able to find the documentation proving Boone was correct.
asserted
Boone → find → documentation
In the NCAA Tournament South Region semifinal at Baton Rouge, Louisiana, on May 28, 1994, Boone led off for the Trojans and played third base against UNC Greensboro.
uncertain
Boone → lead → Greensboro
He flied out to right field leading off the first inning and the next seven batters got hits as USC took a 7-0 lead.
asserted
USC → flie → lead
After a groundout, Boone walked and came around to score on a single by fellow future major leaguer Gabe Alvarez.
asserted
Boone → walk → Alvarez
With the Trojans ahead 13-0, Boone hit a bases-loaded, inning-ending flyout to right as the 19th batter of the inning.
asserted
Boone → hit → inning
Southern Cal won 25-9 but lost to LSU the next day in the regional final.
asserted
Cal → win → final
The Aporia
