The Nats won 3-2 last night, helped by two runs in the 8th, the second of which was easily avoidable.
With Griffin Jax on the mound, two outs, and CJ Abrams on second, Lane Thomas snuck one through the left side of the infield for a single. Trevor Larnach threw home and missed badly, allowing Thomas to go to second, tying the score at 2-2.
The proper throw was to second to keep Lane Thomas on first base.
But don’t take my word for it—just ask Carlos Correa. As Larnach got the ball, Correa was clearly telling him where to throw it—second base.
In the next at bat, Keibert Ruiz hit a single to shallow left. Had Thomas been on first, he would have ended that play on third base at best—and maybe even held to second. Instead, Thomas got the jump from second and came around to easily score the go-ahead run. Keeping Thomas on first would have given Jax an opportunity to get out of the inning allowing only one run and the Twins a chance to win a tie game at home later.
The season is long and it’s been a great start, but I hope these little things don’t pile up.
*Note—I was watching the game on mute. If this came up in the broadcast or was already discussed let me know and I’ll delete.
