On Wednesday night, the Philadelphia Phillies delivered a sequence straight out of a slapstick comedy routine.
In their game against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park, the Phillies gave up a Little League–style home run. In the bottom of the sixth with two outs and a runner on second, Reds shortstop Noelvi Marte faced Phillies lefty Cristopher Sánchez.
Marte broke his bat and blooped a single to left, driving in Austin Hays. The throw home sailed high, glancing off the catcher’s glove, allowing Marte to advance to second.
When the ball got away, Marte made a dash for third. Sánchez, backing up home plate, tried to throw him out—but his throw sailed into left field. That error let Marte trot home for an inside-the-park homer.
The miscue put Cincinnati up 4-0, and they went on to win 8-0. It was one of Sánchez’s roughest outings of the year, as he gave up four runs on seven hits for just his fourth loss.
While Little League homers still occasionally happen in the majors, at least the Phillies didn’t lose the game solely because of one—unlike another team earlier this season.
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