Pivot point – Close call
Leading off Boston’s fifth, Betts chopped a strange three hopper down the third base line. Replays showed the ball started foul, insinuated itself fair about 60 feet down the line and then started to bounce foul again as it approached third. Justin Turner fielded the ball in foul territory behind the base and threw Betts out at first for what Turner thought was the inning’s first out.
But third base umpire Chad Fairchild ruled the ball had indeed been foul when it passed third base, nullifying the out and giving Betts another second-chance. Re-reprieved, Betts walked. He later scored Boston’s fourth run on Rafael Devers’ base hit.
Had Fairchild ruled the ball fair – replays showed only that it was a narrow call – Betts would not have reached base. More pertinently, Devers probably would not have come to bat to drive him and Benintendi — who singled — home because Dodger reliever Ryan Madson struck out Martinez and got Xander Bogaerts to bounce into what would have been an inning-ending fielder’s choice.
Instead, Bogaerts’ grounder only represented the second out, leaving Devers free to count both Betts and Benitendi with the runs that put Boston ahead to stay.