Cardinals win Game 3 of the World Series on an obstruction call - MLB

Oh boy. You’re going to be hearing a lot about the ending of this one for a long time.

Let’s set up the scene: Brandon Workman in for his second inning of relief. Matt Adams strikes out on a dropped third strike. Yadier Molina bloops a single to shallow right-center. Allen Craig pinch-hits. Reliever Koji Uehara comes in. Craig doubles down the left field line to put runners on second and third with one out.

Jon Jay ripped a ground ball destined for the outfield but it was stopped by a diving Dustin Pedroia, who fired to catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia to get Molina on a tag play at home plate. As Craig moves to third base, Saltalamacchia fired to third baseman Will Middlebrooks, but it was wide to his left. Middlebrooks lunged for it, but could not reach it, colliding with Craig in the process. Craig tripped and third base umpire Jim Joyce immediately called obstruction. The ball trickled towards the stands in left field. Left fielder Daniel Nava picked up the ball and fired a strike to home plate. Saltalamacchia tagged Craig with plenty of room to spare, but due to the obstruction call, Craig was awarded home plate so the throw and tag did not matter.

MORE: There are a million little things that go into an outcome like night

Obstruction is discussed in rule 7.06:

When obstruction occurs, the umpire shall call or signal “Obstruction.”
If a play is being made on the obstructed runner, or if the batterrunner is obstructed before he touches first base, the ball is dead and all runners shall advance, without liability to be put out, to the bases they would have reached, in the umpires judgment, if there had been no obstruction. The obstructed runner shall be awarded at least one base beyond the base he had last legally touched before the obstruction. Any preceding runners, forced to advance by the award of bases as the penalty for obstruction, shall advance without liability to be put out.

The Cardinals walked off on an obstruction call, winning Game 3 by a 5-4 score to take a 2-1 lead in the World Series. Your winning pitcher: Trevor Rosenthal. Your losing pitcher: Brandon Workman.

Red Sox starter Clay Buchholz will oppose Cardinals starter Laynce Lynn when action resumes tomorrow night for Game 4.

MORE: Peavy rips ending call, but here’s why he’s wrong

By the way, you may remember Jim Joyce from such controversial calls as Armando Galarraga’s perfect game that wasn’t.

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TAMPA, Fla. — Anthony Volpe grew up watching Derek Jeter star at shortstop for the New York Yankees.

Now, the 21-year-old is getting the chance to be the Yankees’ Opening Day shortstop against the San Francisco Giants.

The team announced after a 6-2 win over Toronto in spring training that Volpe had won the spot. New York manager Aaron Boone called the kid into his office to deliver the news.

“My heart was beating pretty hard,” said Volpe, rated one of baseball’s best prospects. “Incredible. I’m just so excited. It’s hard for me to even put into words.”

Yankees general manager Brian Cashman, hitting coach Dillon Lawson and bench coach Carlos Mendoza were also present.

Volpe was able to share the news with his parents and other family members near the Yankees’ dugout and said it is something he will never forget.

“It was pretty emotional,” Volpe said. “It was just an unbelievable moment to share with them.”

Volpe, who grew up a Yankees fan, lived in Manhattan as a child before moving to New Jersey. Jeter was his favorite player.

“It’s very surreal,” Volpe said. “I’ve only ever been to games at Yankee Stadium and for the most part only watched him play there.”

Volpe is hitting .314 with three homers, five RBIs and a .417 on-base percentage in 17 Grapefruit League games. He has just 22 games of experience at Triple-A.

Spring training started with Volpe, Oswald Peraza and holdover Isiah Kiner-Falefa competing for the everyday shortstop job. Kiner-Falefa was shifted into a utility role midway through camp, and Peraza was optioned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

“While certainly the performance was there, he killed it between the lines,” Boone said of Volpe. “All the other things that we’ve been hearing about showed up. There’s an energy he plays the game with, and an instinct that he has that is evident. He really checked every box that we could have had for him. Absolutely kicked the door in and earned his opportunity.”

Volpe arrived in Florida in December to work out at the Yankees’ minor league complex.

“He’s earned the right to take that spot, and we’re excited for him and excited for us,” Cashman said. “He just dominated all sides of the ball during February and March, and that bodes well obviously for him as we move forward.”

Volpe was selected out of high school with the 30th overall pick in the 2019 draft from Delbarton School in New Jersey. He passed up a college commitment to Vanderbilt to sign with the Yankees.

“It was a once-in-a-lifetime chance to get into the organization,” Volpe said. “This day, this feeling, this moment was kind of what I’ve worked my whole life for when I made that big decision.”

“Right now it’s crazy,” he added. “I don’t even know what lies ahead but Thursday I just want to go out and play, and have fun.”