Credit Chris Taylor's hat with a possible run-saving assist in World Series Game 2

Baseball success often simply comes from being in the right place at the right time. That was the case in the third inning of Wednesday's World Series Game 2 presented by YouTube TV, when the Astros threatened to put a crooked number on the scoreboard against the Dodgers.
Facing Rich Hill to lead off the frame, Josh Reddick reached on an infield single that Chase Utley couldn't quite corral. After Justin Verlander bunted Reddick over to second, George Springer lined a base hit of his own to left field, though too hard to score the run. Springer's hit was the first hit given up by the Dodgers with a runner in scoring position since Game 2 of the NLDS.
The Dodgers were in trouble, and on Hill's next pitch, Alex Bregman added to the damage with a hit to left-center field. Chris Taylor made an unsuccessful dive in an attempt to catch it, and for a second, it seemed like the ball was destined to roll to the wall, plating at least two runs.
Instead, the Dodgers were bailed out by an unlikely source -- Taylor's hat:

The ball somehow caromed perfectly off the brim of Taylor's hat directly to left fielder Joc Pederson. Reddick scored, but Springer had to hold at second base. Hill then struck out José Altuve and Carlos Correa to strand the runners, keeping the score at 1-0.
How lucky was that bounce, even as early as the third inning? Well, per Tom Tango's win expectancy matrix, the Astros had a 58 percent chance of winning when Bregman stepped up to bat.
Suppose the ball evades Taylor's cap or simply caroms away from Pederson. Springer probably scores to make it 2-0, Astros, and the speedy Bregman scampers all the way to third base. The Astros' win expectancy would have been all the way up to 76 percent. Instead, they had to settle for 65 percent with one out and runners on first and second in a 1-0 game, and that was before Altuve and Correa whiffed.
In other words, Taylor's hat had more of an impact on win expectancy (11 percentage points) than the hit itself (seven). Although the Dodgers ultimately fell to the Astros in extra innings, 7-6, that's still a tip of the cap in it of itself.
All part of the plan. Right, Chris?

We thought so.
Tune into Game 3 of the World Series presented by YouTube TV on Friday on FOX (7:30 p.m. ET air time, 8 ET game time).