Baseball just witnessed one of its most mind-boggling moments, and it’s a play that will leave fans scratching their heads for years to come. In a jaw-dropping sequence during Game 1 of the National League Championship Series, the Milwaukee Brewers executed a double play so bizarre, it’s already being hailed as one of the most confusing—and brilliant—plays in postseason history. But here’s where it gets controversial: Did the Dodgers simply misread the situation, or was this a stroke of defensive genius by the Brewers? Let’s break it down.
Even if neither the Los Angeles Dodgers nor the Milwaukee Brewers clinch the World Series this year, this play alone ensures their place in baseball’s highlight reels for decades. It all unfolded on a deep fly ball to left-center field, a moment that left everyone—players, fans, and even commentators—utterly bewildered.
‘It’s definitely the worst fielder’s choice, double play I’ve ever hit into in my life,’ admitted Max Muncy, the Dodgers’ third baseman whose bat set the chaos in motion. In the top of the fourth inning, with the bases loaded and one out, Muncy crushed a pitch from Brewers’ right-hander Quinn Priester. Brewers center fielder Sal Frelick, positioned toward right-center, sprinted to the wall and nearly made a spectacular catch. But the ball bounced off his glove—and here’s where the madness began.
The ball didn’t go far, and Frelick managed to secure it before it hit the ground. However, the Dodgers’ runners, stationed hundreds of feet away, assumed Frelick had made the catch. And this is the part most people miss: The ball grazed the yellow line atop the wall after it bounced out of Frelick’s glove, meaning it was still in play. With force plays available at every base, Frelick fired the ball to shortstop Joey Ortiz, who relayed it to the plate. Catcher William Contreras then completed the double play by walking the ball to third base, tagging out Will Smith, who had failed to advance from second.
‘He made an incredible play in center field,’ Muncy said of Frelick. ‘As for what happened after that, I’m not really sure. I’m still kind of confused.’
Scored as an 8-6-2 double play, the sequence left Frelick—and everyone else—shrugging in disbelief. Even left-field umpire Chad Fairchild immediately signaled no catch when the ball dropped. ‘I don’t think I’ve ever seen it,’ Dodgers shortstop Mookie Betts admitted. ‘Being in it, I don’t know what I would have done either.’
This play is so rare that it’s the first 8-6-2 double play in the playoffs in at least 35 years. The last time something similar happened was in the regular season on April 16, 2004, involving Ken Griffey Jr. and Sammy Sosa. Even more impressively, the umpires got the call right on the first try, and a Dodgers challenge failed to overturn it. Major League Baseball confirmed both aspects of the play after review, leaving no doubt about its legitimacy.
But here’s the question that’s sparking debate: Could the Dodgers have avoided this disaster if they’d better understood the rules? Or was this simply a once-in-a-lifetime defensive masterpiece by the Brewers? Let us know what you think in the comments—because this play is one for the history books, and the discussion is far from over.
