Your thoughts, baseball experts:

[Auggie]

Scenario:

Tie game, top of the 9th inning.

The visiting team's lead-off batter, #7, the catcher, draws a walk. The next batter, #8, reaches on a fielding error that sends the catcher to third base.

Runners on first and third, no outs.

A sac fly from the #9 hitter scores the go-ahead run. An in-field double play scores the run. A walk loads the bases. A strike-out or pop-up leaves you with two outs to work with and brings the #1 batter, one of the toughest outs in the league, to the plate.

Instead, the manager calls a safety squeeze. #9 hitter misses in the bunt attempt. The home field catcher throws to third. #7 batter, the catcher, is a step too far from third base, leaning the wrong way, and is tagged out.

The go-ahead run on third has been erased.

Would you have called for a safety squeeze in that situation? Would you have pulled the catcher for a pinch runner after the lead-off walk?

You have two catchers on the bench, one infielder, and one outfielder. Plus one of the best closers in the game.

Thoughts?

Here are mine: Lift the catcher Bo Naylor for Travis Freeman after the walk. Do not call the safety squeeze. Play for the sac fly from #9 hitter Arias. Better yet, lift Arias for the hotter switch-hitting SS on the bench, Bryan Rocchio. If Rocchio fails there's #1 Steven Kwan and #2 Andres Gimenez up next.

Guardians Manager Stephen Vogt screwed up a great chance for a road sweep against Oakland yesterday.

[underpants]

1. Vogt must've thought it was the end of "Major League"

I’d have just let the bat as usual.

[PAMod]

2. " An in-field double play scores the run."

Isn’t that three outs; innng over?

Edit - I read it again and understand you are suggesting what **would** score the run.

[Auggie]

4. Yes. There are no outs ...

so a 5-4-3 double play could score the run from third. The out at home plate is not a given because the runner on third is not forced to run.

[PAMod]

3. I'm ok with the safety squeeze in that spot.

A better base runner might have avoided getting picked off, but the safety squeeze play isn’t the problem.

Besides, a squeeze is fun for the spectators.

[Auggie]

5. With two outs, maybe

And a faster runner at third.

[JT45242]

6. Nope not in today's game...

Major leaguers are not taught to bunt . It goes against the stupidity of the three perfect outcomes (hr, walk, strikeout).

There are only a handful of competent bunters in the league. So. No.

Additionally, with a 26 man roster you should pinch run for the catcher.

As you were prefacing it, I thought you were looking for IBB to load bases to get force out at home.

[retread]

7. Help me follow this. I'm having difficulty.

"runners on first and third, no outs.

A sac fly from the #9 hitter scores the go-ahead run. "
Sac fly so 1 out, one on?


"An in-field double play scores the run."
How does this happen with one out, one on?
"Assuming" there is a scenario that this is even possible, a double play with 1 out ends the inning. Correct?

[Auggie]

8. This is about the one at-bat with 0 outs

There were no outs with runners on first and third. If there was one out then yes, a double play ends the inning and the run doesn't score.

Though in over-thinking it, it's probably unlikely a double play would be attempted anyhow.

The SS or 2ND baseman would check the runner on third and go for the out at first or second, depending where the ball is hit and the infielder is positioned. Now there's one out and one runner still on third and one on second or first. The game is still tied. NOW, a double play ends the inning.

Odds were in Cleveland's favor to let Arias swing away. A safety squeeze with the catcher on third an 0 outs makes no sense. One could argue in favor of the surprise factor of the squeeze, and maybe that's what Vogt was thinking. Well, surprise -- it failed. Embarrassingly so.