Guardians cut down runner at 3B; replay erases huge run

CLEVELAND -- It was an eventful first few innings for Chase DeLauter in center field in his MLB debut, but the 23-year-old delivered a momentum-shifting play in Game 2 of the American League Wild Card Series.

DeLauter picked up an inning-ending outfield assist in the top of the fourth inning, when he nabbed Zach McKinstry at third base following an RBI single by Javier Báez. McKinstry was ruled out at third after review, which wiped a run off the board that otherwise would have scored and kept the game tied at 1.

It would stay that way until the eighth inning, when the Guardians' five-run outburst fueled a pivotal 6-1 victory.

“That was a huge play,” manager Stephen Vogt said.

Báez hit a bases-loaded single up the middle that appeared to have driven home Riley Greene and Dillon Dingler. McKinstry (who was on first) advanced to third base on the play, and he was initially ruled to have beaten the throw DeLauter made from center field.

The Guardians challenged, and McKinstry not only was ruled out, but it was determined he was retired before Dingler touched home plate. DeLauter’s throw was 92.3 mph, which is the fifth-fastest outfield assist by a Cleveland player this season.

“When I saw it on the [video] board,” DeLauter said, “I wasn't convinced it was going to be overturned as far as the call that was made. I didn't love that there wasn't a whole lot of room for that to be turned over.

“But when they turned it over, it was a really cool feeling.”

DeLauter had thrown both hands on his head when McKinstry was initially ruled safe. It was a semi-risky throw; Báez had advanced to second when the Guardians challenged. It also was a potentially heads-up move; McKinstry ranked 13th in MLB in run value on advancing extra bases. He goes first-to-third as much as anybody.

“I thought I had a step,” McKinstry said. “Didn't take a great route to third, so thought I could get outside of it and try to mess up the line, and it just didn't work out."

The replay review proved especially critical for Cleveland because Dingler scoring otherwise would have given Detroit a 2-1 lead. He was mere steps away from touching the plate when Ramírez laid his tag on McKinstry.

"I was sprinting, but I tried to kick it into second gear to try to get home [after seeing the ball going to third],” Dingler said.

DeLauter beat him to the spot, though, and his team made it count, keeping their season alive.