Among the rule changes agreed upon in the recent Collective Bargaining Agreement between Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association was keeping the so-called ‘Placed Runner Rule,’ which puts a runner on second base when games go into extra innings. And though the rule is considered by many to be a T-Ball / Little League rule where baseball fields are used by many teams and on very strict time constraints, such is not the case at baseball’s highest level.

As most fans know, the rule came into play in the MLB during the COVID-19-shortened 2020 season for obvious reasons – to lessen players, coaches, umpires, and clubhouse staff’s exposure to the potentially deadly virus. But with the proven success of COVID-19 vaccines and boosters, the number of associated cases and deaths has been reduced (very) significantly.

In other words, the Placed Runner Rule is, quite frankly, no longer necessary.

But alas, the decision was not yours or mine to make, and despite its unpopularity among cash-paying baseball fans around the country and in Canada, the Placed Runner Rule was, as noted, agreed upon in the new CBA and is (apparently) here to stay.

For the first time in the Dodgers’ (now) 14-game-old 2022 season, the Placed Runner Rule was utilized on Saturday evening when, after regulation play against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park, the score was tied 2-2.

In a nutshell, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts did not play the Placed Runner Rule correctly. In that same nutshell, Padres manager Bob Melvin did.

The top of the 10th inning began with the speedy Chris Taylor as the Dodgers’ Placed Runner, having made the last out in the ninth inning. But instead of having 10th-inning leadoff batter Gavin Lux drop down a sacrifice to move Taylor to third base, Roberts elected to have the struggling Lux swing away.

It almost worked.

Almost.

On the second pitch of the at-bat, Lux hit a hard line drive to Padres left fielder Jurickson Profar, who threw an absolute dart to Padres’ third baseman Manny Machado. The former Dodger easily tagged out Taylor, who had tagged up from second base, for a perfectly executed 7-5 double play.

But even with two outs and the bases now empty, Dodgers fans still had a ray of hope with normally-productive Mookie Betts stepping into the box. That said, the extremely popular Dodgers right fielder had already struck out three times in his four at-bats during regulation play.

Mookie Betts struck out a fourth time.

Game over.

“I let us down, but I have to be ready for tomorrow,” Betts told reporters postgame of his un-Betts-like four-strikeout night.

As noted, Padres manager Bob Melvin did play the Placed Runner Rule correctly.

With shortstop C.J. Abrams as the Padres Placed Runner in the bottom of the 10th inning, Melvin had his 10th-inning leadoff batter, Padres pinch-hitter Trent Grisham, drop down a perfect sacrifice bunt to move Abrams to third base.

(Authors note: There are 25 ways to score from third base).

With one out, Melvin’s plan – and absolutely the right move – came to fruition when the next batter, Padres catcher Austin Nola, lined a sacrifice fly to Taylor in left field, allowing Abrams to tag up and easily score the winning run.

In other words: Bob Melvin-1 – Dave Roberts-0

Play Ball!

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