It’s the first extra-innings game of the 2020 season, and there’s a new rule:
Every inning starts with a runner on second base.
We have extra innings for the first time in 2020!
First look at the new rule where a runner starts the inning on 2nd base 👀 pic.twitter.com/eQuTBaMxNx
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) July 25, 2020
So the Angels were first, the debut passengers for this weird new rule’s maiden voyage.
And the opposite of should happen happened. They just hit an iceberg.
The first runner to appear as an extra base runner gets thrown out in a rundown, amazing play by Matt Olson to get Ohtani pic.twitter.com/o7QpTSzjVv
— Matt Powers (@MattPowers31) July 25, 2020
Ohtani hates the rule so much that he got caught in a rundown on purpose. He's a man of principle.
— Foolish Baseball (@FoolishBB) July 25, 2020
A most alert 3-5-6-5 putout, started by Matt Olson. And a most flat-footed Shohei Ohtani, tagged out before you hardly even knew he was on base.
When even he might not have known he was on base.
Ohtani’s reaction when reminded he’s starting the inning on second base 😂 pic.twitter.com/LUarOXmqUa
— A's on NBCS (@NBCSAthletics) July 25, 2020
A play so sharp it felt like Olson knew what was coming, and wanted to speed things along with a little extra bravado—to the bottom half of the inning, when the A’s got to put a runner of their own on second base. And two more got on base, with a hit-by-pitch and a walk.
And then Olson himself came up to bat. With the bases loaded.
And did this:
OLY WALK-OFF GRAND SLAM 😱 pic.twitter.com/XYka0C3ebz
— A's on NBCS (@NBCSAthletics) July 25, 2020
A #walkoff slam to end #OpeningDay! 😱 pic.twitter.com/WmogJlMgOO
— MLB (@MLB) July 25, 2020
So that was how it went, this first foray into 2020 extra-innings world.
The good, the bad. The Olson and the Ohtani.
Check out yesterday’s Big Inning video here: