October 9th, 2014 at 6:00 am 
by Ron Cervenka A day, a week, a month or even a century from now it will forever be Matt Adams’s devastating three-run home run in the bottom of the seventh inning off of Clayton Kershaw that will be remembered as the turning point of Game-4 of the 2014 NLDS in which the Dodgers were eliminated from the postseason. And while the Adams home run was indeed a difference maker in the eventual 3-2 final score, there was a play that occurred in the top of the sixth inning that was even bigger than the home run.
With two outs in the top of the sixth inning and the Dodgers nursing a 1-0 lead, Dodgers shortstop Hanley Ramirez was hit by a pitch (of course he was) which was followed by an Andre Ethier walk. Ramirez scored on a base hit to right field by Juan Uribe for the second run of the inning and moving Ethier to third base. On a 2-1 count to Dodgers catcher A.J. Ellis, Cardinals right-hander Seth Maness bounced a change-up in the dirt that got away from Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina. Initially it looked as though the ball was headed for the backstop but it took an unusual bounce right back to Molina.
While all of this was happening, Ethier broke for home but apparently saw Ellis put up a stop sign at the plate and he retreated to third base as Molina fired a laser shot throw to Cardinals third baseman Matt Carpenter. Although third base umpire Jerry Meals initially called Ethier safe, television viewers never saw the play in real-time due to poor camera work by Fox Sports 1 cameramen (and not for the first time in the series). Cardinals manager Mike Matheny challenged the safe call and after a video review, Meals’s safe call was overturned, thus ending the inning and the Dodgers rally.
After a video review of the play, Ethier was ruled out even though there was never a definitive view of Carpenter’s tag.
(Video capture courtesy of MLB.com)
“I guess it’s a costly mistake now,” said Ethier after the game. “Of course at the time, you never know the outcome of that.”
Perhaps the most surprised person in Busch Stadium was Molina himself.
“I didn’t know what happened,” Molina said. “The ball was in the dirt and skipped away, but stayed close to me. I fired to third and it happened.”
The one question that was never asked in this crucial game-changing play is: What was Dodgers third base coach Lorenzo Bundy doing while this disaster was unfolding? Bundy, who cost the Dodgers several games during the regular season due to his questionable decisions, should have been screaming frantically for Ethier to “get back” or better still “dive,” which would have removed any chance of Carpenter making the tag. But as he often did during the regular season after making a questionable decision (or no decision at all), Bundy was apparently nowhere to be found during Tuesday’s post-game interviews.
Although staffing changes most likely will not be addressed for several weeks (or perhaps months), Bundy’s job as the Dodgers third base coach should be at the top of Colletti’s list – that is, of course, if Colletti himself survives the off-season.
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I can think of at least 5 different occasions this year where Bundy has either cost us a run or put base runners in precarious situations. Good minor league manager maybe, crappy 3rd base coach.
I actually believe that Bundy would/will make a good MLB manager but he is definitely not a good 3B coach. Ironically, most MiLB managers coach 3B during their games, which is a real head-scratcher as to why they do not always make good 3B coaches in the Bigs.
I would like to see someone who recently left the game and who was a good base runner be hired as a 3B coach – maybe someone like Kenny Lofton or even Steve Sax. It might even be worth moving Davey Lopes from 1B coach to 3B coach – just thinking out loud.
Whether it was Bundy’s fault or not, there’s no excuse for a veteran player to go back to the base standing up on that play. Had Ethier slid, he would have been safe.
I absolutely agree with you Evan – no excuse whatsoever. However, once the player turns his back on the play (to Molina in this case), the third base coach becomes his eyes and is responsible for letting the base runner know what’s happening.
Had Bundy yelled “Down,” in all likelihood Ethier would have known that it was going to be a close play and react accordingly. That being said, I was not very impressed with Ethier’s explanation of the play.
What difference does it make when such a play occurs? You’ve got to treat every play as if it’s important.
Again, I agree that the ultimate responsibility was with Ethier going back standing, but Bundy (apparently) did nothing to help – which is the very definition of his job as a MLB-level third base coach. And, as noted, this was not the first time Bundy has done something like this.
I agree that it was a crucial play but I can’t visualize what would’ve happened next. That is I don’t know if Ellis would not have been the last out of the inning, stranding Ethier on third. I guess it was just meant to be.
Try to visualize this:
There was no one, absolutely no one better to have at the plate in that situation than A.J. Ellis.
Well if you put it that way I see your point but unfortunately Ethier didn’t make it back to third base and the inning ended.
Thus, it was the biggest play of the game.