grounder

In the bottom of the ninth in Game 7, playing second base with the infield in, Rojas cleanly fielded a grounder and threw out Isiah Kiner-Falefa by inches at home plate to save the game.

He’d have someone roll the football to him as if he were fielding a grounder, then he would flick a throw to first base, keeping a low, almost-sidearmed release.

But it was his tireless daily routine of taking infield grounders, and his ability to learn from and overcome early-season growing pains, that made that moment possible.

The classic ended with an Alejandro Kirk double play grounder in the bottom of 11th induced by a third icon, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who finished with 2 ⅔ scoreless innings despite throwing 96 pitches 24 hours earlier.

No, Philadelphia Phillies’ reliever Orion Kerkering did not just botch a grounder and throw it away with the season on the line!