{"id":118767,"date":"2024-10-27T00:43:03","date_gmt":"2024-10-26T17:43:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/?p=118767"},"modified":"2024-10-27T00:43:03","modified_gmt":"2024-10-26T17:43:03","slug":"juan-soto-owns-defensive-shortcomings-in-world-series-game-1-as-sloppy-play-stifles-yankees","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/?p=118767","title":{"rendered":"Juan Soto owns defensive shortcomings in World Series Game 1, as sloppy play stifles Yankees"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"fluid\"\r\n     data-ad-layout-key=\"-fb+5w+4e-db+86\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"7910942971\"><\/ins>\r\n<script>\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p>LOS ANGELES \u2014 This didn\u2019t have to become a World Series classic. There didn\u2019t have to be countless video mashups of <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"fJdyR59AnffvvTIg\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/mlb\/player\/freddie-freeman-fJdyR59AnffvvTIg\/\">Freddie Freeman<\/a>\u2019s walk-off grand slam in Game 1 of the 2024 World Series alongside Kirk Gibson\u2019s legendary home run from Game 1 of the 1988 World Series. And there certainly didn\u2019t have to be another fable of a hobbled Los Angeles Dodger circling the bases in late October at Chavez Ravine. The <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"111\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/mlb\/team\/yankees\/\">New York Yankees<\/a> found themselves on the wrong side of baseball history Friday night, but it didn\u2019t have to play out this way.<\/p>\n<p>In the bottom of the fifth inning, <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"106\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/mlb\/team\/dodgers\/\">Dodgers<\/a> center fielder <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"dmN3FDmi5nUtz5aS\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/mlb\/player\/kike-hernandez-dmN3FDmi5nUtz5aS\/\">Kik\u00e9 Hern\u00e1ndez<\/a> hit a ball down the right-field line that tailed away from <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"NxTzrhe2HdUzjr6T\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/mlb\/player\/juan-soto-NxTzrhe2HdUzjr6T\/\">Juan Soto<\/a>, an American League Gold Glove Award finalist this season. Soto came within five feet of making the catch, having needed to cover 75 feet, but fell short, running only 70 before the ball rolled past him. Soto\u2019s momentum carried him into foul territory, allowing Hern\u00e1ndez to advance to third base with a triple.<\/p>\n<p>Soto\u2019s route running proved costly.<\/p>\n<p>The next batter, Dodgers catcher <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"Mtq49BKT8j1TmpD9\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/mlb\/player\/will-smith-Mtq49BKT8j1TmpD9\/\">Will Smith<\/a>, lofted a shallow fly ball to Soto. Hern\u00e1ndez tagged from third and scored on the sacrifice fly, giving the Dodgers a 1-0 lead. <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"6p3f9vHVateA9nFl\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/mlb\/player\/gavin-lux-6p3f9vHVateA9nFl\/\">Gavin Lux<\/a> ended the inning with a line out to center field.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/streamable.com\/m\/will-smith-s-sacrifice-fly-x1810?partnerId=web_video-playback-page_video-share\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" frameborder=\"0\"><span data-mce-type=\"bookmark\" style=\"display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;\" class=\"mce_SELRES_start\">\ufeff<\/span><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>If the Yankees had indulged in the what-if game, they might have imagined the score remaining tied at zero had Soto played the Hern\u00e1ndez ball differently. Statcast estimated a mere 5 percent catch probability, indicating that a spectacular effort would have been required for Soto to secure the out. Off the bat, Soto believed he had taken the right route, moving in a direct line toward the ball. However, had he chosen a more circular path and let the ball drop in front of him, Hern\u00e1ndez would never have reached third.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIn the moment, you\u2019re trying to make the play,\u201d Soto said. \u201cAfter the ball goes by you, it feels really bad. At the end of the day, when the ball was hit, I thought I had a chance, but the ball kept fading and kept going away.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Soto is one of the game\u2019s most gifted players, poised to earn lifechanging money this offseason in free agency. But if there\u2019s a weakness in his game, it\u2019s his defense. Watching Soto during the regular season can be an adventure whenever the ball is hit his way. This season, he finished with minus-5 outs above average, ranking 38th out of 44 right fielders.<\/p>\n<p>He recorded slightly better results in defensive runs saved, finishing at minus-1. The only aspect of his defense where he excels is his arm. Nevertheless, his candidacy for the Gold Glove Award raises questions about the legitimacy of the voting process, which relies heavily on managers and assistant coaches who account for 75 percent of the vote.<\/p>\n<p>This offseason, the superstar outfielder worked with center fielder <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"00Pujme2u1HhuQOt\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/mlb\/player\/jackie-bradley-jr-00Pujme2u1HhuQOt\/\">Jackie Bradley Jr.<\/a>, a defensive wizard, recognizing that improving his defense was essential. During the Yankees\u2019 opening week series in Houston, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/5382436\/2024\/04\/01\/yankees-juan-soto-outfield-defense\/\">Soto stated, \u201cDefense wins championships.\u201d<\/a> A more effective defensive play in the fifth inning could have prevented a run for the Dodgers and may have changed the outlook of Game 1.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhen it doesn\u2019t go your way, it sucks,\u201d Soto said.<\/p>\n<p>The Yankees\u2019 defense came under scrutiny again in the eighth inning when Dodgers superstar <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"PYXhWEdNdM6bQVDP\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/mlb\/player\/shohei-ohtani-PYXhWEdNdM6bQVDP\/\">Shohei Ohtani<\/a> blasted a 113.9 mph double off the right-center field wall. Soto initially bobbled the ball after retrieving it, then made a throw to second base where Gleyber Torres was positioned to receive it. Soto\u2019s throw was a one-hopper that caught Torres in between, allowing Ohtani to take off for third base as the ball skidded past the Yankees\u2019 second baseman.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/streamable.com\/m\/tommy-kahnle-in-play-no-out-to-shohei-ohtani-lnkspu?partnerId=web_video-playback-page_video-share\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Torres caught heat online for misplaying the hop, but Soto believes the blame falls on him.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI should have made a better throw,\u201d Soto said.<\/p>\n<p>Confusion reigned on the play from the moment Ohtani\u2019s batted ball soared through the air. Both Anthony Volpe and Torres positioned themselves as cutoff men. When Torres realized that no one was covering second base and a play might develop at the bag, he retreated, backpedaling into position but failing to create enough space for a clean hop on Soto\u2019s throw.<\/p>\n<p>As the ball slipped past Torres, <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"hAE9rcYHkn8K3All\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/mlb\/player\/anthony-rizzo-hAE9rcYHkn8K3All\/\">Anthony Rizzo<\/a> remained at first base, watching as a spectator instead of providing backup. Ohtani later scored in the next at-bat when <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"40qIanIFo3PVjfGr\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/mlb\/player\/mookie-betts-40qIanIFo3PVjfGr\/\">Mookie Betts<\/a> delivered a sacrifice fly. For eight innings, both of the Dodgers\u2019 runs were the result of defensive blunders by the Yankees.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cEvery little thing from the game, especially in these games, is an opportunity for the offense to get another run,\u201d Torres said. \u201cHe went to third. Mookie hit the fly ball to center and it was a tied game. I have to do the adjustment. If I got another opportunity, try to block the ball and keep it in front and make it more simple.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt was a tough play for him,\u201d Soto said. \u201cHe wasn\u2019t on the base. He was on the way to the base. I think if I saw where he was when I threw the ball, I would\u2019ve made a better throw. It\u2019s a tough throw but it\u2019s part of it.\u201d<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_5874078\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\">\n<div class=\"wp-caption-image-container\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-5874078 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/athletic\/uploads\/wp\/2024\/10\/26031855\/GettyImages-2181091097-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/athletic\/uploads\/wp\/2024\/10\/26031855\/GettyImages-2181091097-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/athletic\/uploads\/wp\/2024\/10\/26031855\/GettyImages-2181091097-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/athletic\/uploads\/wp\/2024\/10\/26031855\/GettyImages-2181091097-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/athletic\/uploads\/wp\/2024\/10\/26031855\/GettyImages-2181091097-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/athletic\/uploads\/wp\/2024\/10\/26031855\/GettyImages-2181091097-2048x1365.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\"\/><\/p>\n<div class=\"inline-credits\">\n<div class=\"inline-credits-container\">\n      <span class=\"table-cell-span\"\/><br \/>\n      <span class=\"credits-text\">A clean play at second would have prevented Shohei Ohtani from going to third and ultimately scoring. (Alex Slitz \/ Getty Images)<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>There\u2019s also second-guessing surrounding Yankees manager Aaron Boone\u2019s decision to pull Torres after his ninth-inning double. Boone opted to replace him with <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"CJysrgijolFehzIs\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/mlb\/player\/jasson-dominguez-CJysrgijolFehzIs\/\">Jasson Dom\u00ednguez<\/a> as a pinch-runner \u2014 an important move especially considering that one run in that situation was critical with the game tied. <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"SFIT5wwDvRYLsber\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/mlb\/player\/aaron-judge-SFIT5wwDvRYLsber\/\">Aaron Judge<\/a> came up with runners on first and second but failed to capitalize, leaving the game tied as it moved to the bottom of the ninth.<\/p>\n<p>In extra innings, Boone brought in <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"wiOmQ4sBgUmnTSUG\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/mlb\/player\/oswaldo-cabrera-wiOmQ4sBgUmnTSUG\/\">Oswaldo Cabrera<\/a> to play second base. <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"fEGH3vIdDyWCKF8G\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/mlb\/player\/tommy-edman-fEGH3vIdDyWCKF8G\/\">Tommy Edman<\/a> hit a ground ball to Cabrera\u2019s right, which trickled into the outfield after he overcommitted. While Torres may not be the strongest defender, he excels at moving to his right. If the Yankees had made an out on Edman\u2019s ground ball, Ohtani would have come to the plate with two outs, potentially altering Boone\u2019s decision to bring in <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"hVVlDsIOhr1MPSfZ\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/mlb\/player\/nestor-cortes-hVVlDsIOhr1MPSfZ\/\">Nestor Cortes<\/a>. Boone had <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"ay59LdN0lmZc2KXd\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/mlb\/player\/tim-hill-ay59LdN0lmZc2KXd\/\">Tim Hill<\/a> warming up alongside Cortes and indicated that if Ohtani had stepped up with two outs, he would have strongly considered bringing in Hill.<\/p>\n<p>Instead, there was only one out when Ohtani came to the plate. <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"xSZNsHsFAoNUq1XM\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/mlb\/player\/alex-verdugo-xSZNsHsFAoNUq1XM\/\">Alex Verdugo<\/a> made a difficult catch in foul territory on Ohtani\u2019s at-bat, crashing into the wall and landing in the stands. The Yankees then chose to intentionally walk Betts to set up a lefty-on-lefty matchup with Freeman. Cortes missed his location, and Freeman delivered a walk-off grand slam, winning Game 1 for the Dodgers.<\/p>\n<p>Sloppiness has been one of the Yankees\u2019 biggest shortcomings this season, and it may have cost them a chance to take a one game lead in the World Series.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: right;\"><em>(Top photo of Juan Soto: AP Photo\/Godofredo A. V\u00e1squez)<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"fluid\"\r\n     data-ad-layout-key=\"-fb+5w+4e-db+86\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"7910942971\"><\/ins>\r\n<script>\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script><br \/>\n<br \/><div data-type=\"_mgwidget\" data-widget-id=\"1660802\">\r\n<\/div>\r\n<script>(function(w,q){w[q]=w[q]||[];w[q].push([\"_mgc.load\"])})(window,\"_mgq\");\r\n<\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/5873704\/2024\/10\/26\/yankees-world-series-sloppy-defense-juan-soto\/\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>LOS ANGELES \u2014 This didn\u2019t have to become a World Series classic. There didn\u2019t have to be countless video mashups of Freddie Freeman\u2019s walk-off grand slam in Game 1 of &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/?p=118767\" class=\"more-link\">Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-118767","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-sports","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/118767","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=118767"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/118767\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=118767"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=118767"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=118767"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}