The San Diego Padres lost the opening game of the MLB season Wednesday morning in Seoul, South Korea, falling 5-2 to the Los Angeles Dodgers after a ball squeaked through a hole in first baseman Jake Cronenworth’s glove, allowing LA to take the lead in the eighth inning.
The miscue came as the Dodgers were threatening in the top of the eighth. LA had just tied the game 2-2 on a sacrifice fly and had runners on first and second with one out. Then, Dodgers second baseman Gavin Lux poked a dribbler to Cronenworth that looked like it would lead to an easy, inning-ending double play. But alas, the baseball gods had other plans.
The ball went through Cronenworth’s glove 👀 pic.twitter.com/3XNFpOkGGc
— Dillard Barnhart (@BarnHasSpoken2) March 20, 2024
The Dodgers scored the game-winning run on the play, taking a 3-2 lead. They would score two more runs in the inning and win the game 5-2.
“I thought it was an easy double play,” Cronenworth told MLB.com. “I caught it on the first bounce, and you know, that’s the way it goes … It sucks. I don’t know what else to say.”
“Never seen it before,” Padres third baseman Tyler Wade also told MLB. “Never seen it, especially in a situation where it’s an inning-ending double play. Yeah, it’s baseball. Can’t make that up.” (RELATED: Flashy MLB Star Says He Didn’t Speak To Teammates For First Three Years Of Career: ‘I Don’t Like Y’all Like That’)
I feel for Cronenworth, whose versatility and defensive prowess have earned him the honor of his defensive area being called “The Cron Zone.” The two-time All-Star has played significant time at every infield position on the diamond and swung a hot bat while doing it.
My question is, with the lengths the MLB has gone to put this game on — the contest kicked off the MLB’s Seoul Series as part of the league’s World Tour Initiative — how do they have an equipment malfunction this impactful? I mean, I get it’s an anomaly, but still … Shouldn’t there be some kind of quality assurance guy that makes sure your first-ever game in South Korea doesn’t end in a limpdick era? Just a suggestion for next time, I guess.