Phillies star JT Realmuto makes inexplicable base-running blunder to end the game, leaves manager dumbfounded
Phillies Lose 2‑1 to Dodgers After Chaotic Ninth‑Inning Baserunning Mix‑Up
PHILADELPHIA – In a game that could have swung on a single ball, the Philadelphia Phillies were undone by a baserunning blunder in the bottom of the ninth inning that ended a 2‑1 contest against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Citizens Bank Park on Tuesday.
With the game tied and the Phillies threatening a walk‑off, runners were on second and third and one out. Justin Crawford, who had pinch‑ran for Alec Bohm, was at third base while J.T. Realmuto was on second. Dodgers right‑fielder Brandon Marsh was at the plate. Marsh lofted a weak grounder that rolled toward third base. Crawford started toward home but stopped after a few strides, leaving the ball on the ground and the fielders scrambling.
Interim Phillies manager Don Mattingly later explained that the contact play was on, meaning Crawford should have sprinted home regardless of the ball’s trajectory. Crawford, however, said the contact play would be canceled if the ball hit third base—a detail that proved decisive. As a result Crawford became caught between third and home, and the play descended into a rundown.
Realmuto, seeing Crawford return toward third, ran to that base only to reverse course and head back to second once he noticed Crawford’s movement. Dodgers outfielder Mookie Betts tagged Crawford out at home and then threw to second baseman Tommy Edman, who tagged Realmuto as he tried to return to second. The 5‑2‑6‑4 double play brought up two outs and sealed the Phillies’ loss.
Phillies broadcaster John Kruk watched the sequence with a stunned expression. “Oh no, JT! Oh no,” he exclaimed.
Realmuto was quick to label the play a mistake. “Just a bad baserunning play, really,” he told reporters after the game. “We were going on seeing it through there, and once Crawford gets in the rundown and I’m on third base, there’s no reason for me to go back to second. Just a lack of judgment. You can’t make two outs on that play.” He added, “Just a lapse in judgment. I thought Crawford could get out of the rundown for some reason. The chances of that are so small, you just can’t take that chance.”
Mattingly admitted he was unsure of Realmuto’s thought process. “I don’t know what JT was thinking there, honestly, because he got to third,” he said. “With contact on, just hoping Crawford stays in the rundown long enough to get Marsh to second, and you end up in the same spot. I’m not quite sure what he was thinking. I don’t know if he thought Crawford was going to get back or if they were going to let him get back. It’s something we’ll talk about.”
The incident came at a low point for Realmuto, who is hitting just .215 with seven home runs this season, well below his career average of .268. The Phillies now sit at 56‑46, while the Dodgers are 64‑38. The two teams will meet again Wednesday night at 6:40 p.m. ET for the third game of the series, with the Phillies hoping to recover from the close loss and the Dodgers looking to extend their winning streak.
