On consecutive basepath sprints, Billy Hamilton kept the Reds alive and then scored the winning run in a Reds 4-3 victory over Cleveland, and they were both dashes that no other major leaguer besides Hamilton could’ve accomplished. Speed is indeed a weapon, and it’s pretty fun to watch.
Cincinnati was down a run with men on first and second in the ninth when Hamilton grounded sharply to first. The Indians tried to turn a double play, and Hamilton was called out at first, and the stadium fireworks went off—but Bryan Price came out to challenge the call, and upon review Hamilton was indeed safe, by the slimmest of margins.
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If the Indians have a beef, it’s that MLB took nearly three minutes to overturn the play, even when the replays were clear Hamilton was safe. That’s longer than needed to be, and required closer Cody Allen to wait around before having to step back on the rubber. “It’s kind of hard once you think the game’s over,” Terry Francona said, “you kind of let your emotion go. If there’s anybody that I would trust to reel it back in, it’s Cody.”
Hamilton was running on the pitch when the next batter, Zack Cozart, lined a ball to left. Michael Brantley dove, missed, took a second to locate the ball, and Hamilton went first-to-home on the single. Even knowing that, when you watch the video I think you’ll be shocked at how early in the runtime the startled play-by-play guy realizes Hamilton is coming home and scoring without a challenge.
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“As soon as I saw him dive, that was my key just to go,” Hamilton said. “In my head the whole time, I’m like, ‘We’ve got the tying run.’ I had ‘score’ in my head the whole time once I saw him dive. I didn’t see [third-base coach Billy] Hatcher. I didn’t look at Hatcher. I was going to go no matter what, even if he tried to stop me. It’s just something that I made up in my mind rounding second.”
For the Indians, it was Allen’s first blown save since last August. He thought he had this one nailed down, but a lot of teams think they’ve nailed Billy Hamilton, and haven’t.