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David Schoenfield, ESPN Senior Writer
BALTIMORE — Orioles manager Brandon Hyde deemed Gunnar Henderson’s caught stealing in the bottom of the ninth inning as “a little miscommunication.”
Amidst the Orioles’ 3-2 deficit in Game 1 of the American League Division Series against the Rangers on Saturday, Henderson kickstarted the inning with a base hit to right field off Texas closer Jose Leclerc. With a 2-1 count on Aaron Hicks, Henderson made a dash for second base. However, catcher Jonah Heim managed to throw out Henderson while Hicks took the pitch for a ball.
Leclerc subsequently struck out Hicks and got Adam Frazier on a ground out to third, securing the final two outs. Television replays displayed Hyde exclaiming, “What the f—” in frustration within the dugout.
In a post-game interview, Henderson informed reporters that he had seen a steal sign.
Henderson’s attempted steal was unusual, considering his success rate of 10-for-13 during the regular season. Moreover, the Orioles had only stolen one base in the ninth inning while trailing throughout the season. It is worth noting that Heim ranked in the 89th percentile for caught-stealing rate, making him one of the most formidable throwing catchers in the league.
Based on FanGraphs’ win expectancy, the Orioles’ chances dropped from 33% to 11% after Henderson was caught stealing.
“That changed the momentum,” remarked Rangers third baseman Josh Jung, who contributed a homerun and initiated a crucial 5-4-3 double play in the eighth inning with an impressive defensive play when the Orioles had two runners on base with no outs.
In response to the steal attempt, Heim, who also had an RBI single, joked that “I kind of blacked out.”
Heim had previously thrown down to first base during the count.
“He was getting a big lead. I noticed his secondary lead, so I was just trying to keep him a little closer in case there was a ball in the gap. We knew they liked to run and [Leclerc] delivered a pitch that allowed me to make the throw,” explained Heim.
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