(670 The Score) White Sox catcher Yasmani Grandal found an unorthodox way to help his team produce a run against the Astros in Game 3 of their American League Division Series on Sunday night.
The White Sox scored a run on a wild, rarely seen play in the bottom of the fourth inning, when Astros first baseman Yuli Gurriel’s throw home to try to get White Sox center fielder Luis Robert at the plate instead deflected off Grandal, who had hit the grounder and then established a baserunning line partially on the grass several feet inside the foul line. The ball deflected off Grandal’s left arm to change the flight of a throw that looked like it would’ve gotten Robert.
The situation occurred with runners at first and third and no outs. The umpires conferred and agreed Grandal did nothing wrong, much to the dismay of arguing Astros manager Dusty Baker.
The reason Grandal wasn't called for interference for his location is because a running lane isn't established until a tag attempt is made by the defense, Fox Sports 1 field reporter Tom Verducci explained on the broadcast. So the umpires were only determining whether Grandal had done anything intentional to interfere on the play, and they deemed that he didn't.
“I started running, then all of a sudden he’s throwing the ball right at me," Grandal said in an interview on Fox Sports 1 after the game. "I didn’t really think about what was going on at the plate. It just so happened that he threw the ball. I tried to get my shoulder out of the way. It hits me, and it gets away.”
“When I got to the dugout, I just told these guys it was good baserunning. We’ll leave it at that.”
The run gave the White Sox an 8-6 lead. They stretched their lead to 9-6 at the end of the fourth inning in their eventual 12-6 win, which kept them alive in the ALDS by cutting their deficit to 2-1.
Gurriel was charged with an error on the play that went down as a fielder’s choice for Grandal. Adding to the absurdity of the plate is that Robert’s slide took out home-plate umpire Tom Hallion.