This game-ending fly ball was almost dropped ... on purpose! Here's why

This might be a new one. And if you weren’t watching closely or surfing social media Thursday, you probably missed it.

The Phillies walked off the Giants twice in one day, the first team to have such a feat in 22 years. To win Game 2 of the double-header, Alec Bohm poked a sacrifice fly to deep center field, scoring a tagging-up Adolis García from third base in the 10th inning.

What you might have missed? San Francisco center fielder Drew Gilbert looked like he had some trouble corralling the fly ball, catching it just a moment before it would have hit the ground. However, it’s likely he did this intentionally in a high-IQ play we could see others repeating in the future.

By waiting until the very last second to catch Bohm’s sacrifice, Gilbert heightened the possibility of García leaving third base before the ball was actually caught. Had that happened, García could have been ruled out on appeal, allowing the Giants to live for at least another batter.

We’ve seen some crafty outfielders try things of a similar nature in the past. Some have tried to deke the runner by acting like they’ve lost the ball in the sun or by acting as if they’re going to catch it when it’s actually flying over their head.

But Gilbert’s attempt was an innovative one, even if it might not always work.