August 16th, 2020 at 8:00 am 
by Ron Cervenka It was bound to happen sooner or later with MLB’s new ‘automatic-runner-on-second-base-to-begin-extra-innings’ rule – a run scores without an official at-bat.
It happened on Saturday night for the Dodgers in their second such game under the new rule, but not in the manner which you might have thought it would. That would have been a sacrifice bunt followed by a sacrifice fly.
No, unlike the first time for Dave Roberts’ Dodgers when utility infielder Edwin Rios crushed a two-run home run in the top of the 13th inning to defeat the cheating Astros on July 29 at Minute Maid Park, this time the Dodgers stole the win … literally.
Having made the final out in regulation play and the score between the Dodgers and Angels of Anaheim tied at 5, Dodgers left fielder / second baseman Chris Taylor was the ‘automatic runner’ on second base, with struggling utility infielder Max Muncy at the plate. On the third pitch of Muncy’s at-bat, the speedy Taylor stole third base off of Angels right-hander Keynan Middleton, and it wasn’t even close.
“Knowing Middleton can be a little slower to the plate, so giving C.T. the green light there,” Roberts told reporters after the game. “He didn’t get the best of jumps, but fortunately set up a situation for Muncy, and it played out big.”
(Video capture courtesy of SportsNet LA)
That situation was a (very) deep fly ball to Angels right fielder Brian Goodwin by Muncy on the very next pitch, allowing Taylor to tag up and score standing up. Muncy’s fly ball was a sacrifice fly, which, of course, is not considered an official at-bat.
Ironically, Muncy, whose batting average had dropped to an ugly .169 before play began on Saturday night and had been given Friday night off, hit a two-run single, also to right field, in the top of the third inning to tie the score at 2-2.
“To drive in three, take the at-bat he did, walk, it’s a typical Max Muncy game,” said Roberts. “Hopefully, that day off [on Friday] got him right, because he’s not going to have any more going forward.”
The Angels failed to score in their ‘automatic-runner-on-second-base’-half of the 10th, with Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen striking out always dangerous Mike Trout to end the game to record his sixth save of the COVID-19-shortened 2020 season.
Well done, boys!
PLAY BALL!
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Posted in 
That putting a runner on second in extra innings really helps at 1:00 AM.
Brooklyn, growing up in NY sometimes the morning papers wouldn’t list the late night west coast scoes so we wouldn’t find out until the next day what the final score was.
Also the west coast games started at 8 pm so it would be 11 pm when the game started, meaning a very late night. In the 80s I became best friends with my VCR and I would pop the tape in on the late night televised games.
My daughter, a die-hard Dodger fan (of course) lives in Brooklyn with her boyfriend Max, who we both MADE a die-hard Dodger fan (he’s also one of our writers). Although the games start earlier now (especially this season), they still end quite late for them.
Do kids today even know what a VCR is/was?