Wacky Double Play Turns Into Baserunning Tragedy for Pirates

This wild sequence saw the Cardinals turn a rather unique double play.

There are classic infield double plays, there are double plays at the plate, and then there’s what the Cardinals did against the Pirates on Friday night.

In the seventh inning of the St. Louis’s game against Pittsburgh at PNC Park on Friday, Rodolfo Castro looped a base hit to right field with a runner on second. Bryan Reynolds was sent home from second, but when he realized he wouldn’t come close to making it safely, he tried to turn back to third.

Catcher Andrew Knizner hit Reynolds in the back on his throw, leaving him in a rundown, but third baseman Nolan Arenado secured the ball and threw it back to Knizner to obtain the out. Meanwhile, Castro took a massive turn past second and wasn’t able to get back before he was caught out as well.

9⃣ - 2⃣ - 5⃣ - 2⃣ - 9⃣ double play! pic.twitter.com/rBs0TxmOjv

— St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) September 10, 2022

The sequence was a disasterclass in baserunning, with two runners caught out when the team could have had both on base with just one out. Pittsburgh (51–86) picked up the 8–2 victory anyways in the first of a three-game series against St. Louis. 

Had that inning proved to have been crucial, it would’ve been major downer in a season of low points for the Pirates.