Time Play Teachable - Fielder's Choice in Oakland

The Oakland Athletics secured win #1 of the 2021 MLB regular season Wednesday against Los Angeles, but not after a curious time play leading to a Dodgers go-ahead run after HP Umpire Dan Bellino conferred with 3B Umpire Adrian Johnson before scoring LA's second run of the game.

Play: With two out and two on (R2, R3), Dodgers batter Zach McKinstry bunted to A's third baseman Matt Chapman as Dodgers baserunner R3 Max Muncy sprinted for home plate and R2 Austin Barnes ran toward third base. Rather than make a play on McKinstry at first base to end the inning, F5 Chapman opted to tag Barnes as he overslid third base, resulting in the inning's third out.

Ruling: Cognizant of the time play situation, HP Umpire Bellino signaled to the press box to score the run, properly ruling that runner Muncy had touched home plate prior to fielder Chapman recording the third out on runner Barnes at third base.

Q&A: Our Ask the UEFL question is whether it matters that batter-runner McKinstry hadn't yet touched first base at the time of the third out. The answer is no. Official Baseball Rule 5.08(a) states that a run scores when a runner legally touches each base in order before three are out to end the inning. As previously established, R3 Muncy touched home plate before R2 Barnes was tagged for the third out.

The exception to 5.08(a) prescribes, "A run is not scored if the runner advances to home base during a play in which the third out is made (1) by the batter-runner before he touches first base; (2) by any runner being forced out; or (3) by a preceding runner who is declared out because he failed to touch one of the bases," but this itself is not a time play.

The ruling is that "no run shall score during a play in which the third out is made by the batter-runner before he touches first base." In this situation, the third out of the inning was made by R3 Muncy and not the batter-runner McKinstry, and because R3 Muncy touched home plate before R2 Barnes was tagged for the third out, Muncy's run shall count. Had fielder Chapman, instead of tagging Barnes, successfully thrown out batter-runner McKinstry at first base, R3 Muncy's run would not count, regardless of timing involved, because the third out would have been made by the batter-runner before touching first base.

Video as follows:

Alternate Link: Time Play Teachable of Third Out Fielder's Choice Play in OAK (CCS)