Major League Baseball took big steps to eliminate defensive shifts from the game before the start this season but there are still ways teams can do it, which Colorado showed in Sunday’s loss to the Marlins.
And boy did this go terribly wrong for them.
With one out and the bases loaded in the bottom of the tenth, the Rockies brought their center fielder, Brenton Doyle, into the infield. The rule states that you must have two fielders on each side of second base, so this was totally legal.
It was also a total failure on their part, as Miami’s Luis Arráez hit a single to an unmanned right field to drive in the game’s winning run.
Check this out:
NOW PLAYING: LUIS ARRAEZ'S GREATEST HIT. #MakeItMiami pic.twitter.com/vDm8fNqjW0
— Miami Marlins (@Marlins) July 23, 2023
MLB fans crushed the Rockies for that move:
Rockies played a box n 1 and still got cooked https://t.co/D2sjUMzdCE
— klaylmao 🛟 (@klaylmao) July 23, 2023
If more baseball players had learned how to do this, the shift would’ve died on its own https://t.co/Q02mcSThrc
— Dan Gainor (@dangainor) July 24, 2023
The Rockies really thought "yeah, we can somehow get the best hitter in our division to roll over, bring in the outfield" https://t.co/jco2dWXFV3
— Netuno 🇵🇷 (@Netuno_d2) July 24, 2023
every time I have ever seen a team use the five man infield, it has failed. every single time. I can't believe teams insist on doing it. https://t.co/hgAftzi77I
— You Bunch Of Marks (@youbunchofmarks) July 23, 2023
