Off the glove and over the fence! Texas Rangers’ Solak scores in unique fashion
Credit Los Angeles Angels outfielder Jo Adell with a glove assist. Or, technically, a four-base error.
Texas Rangers outfielder Nick Solak received an unexpected gift during Sunday’s game when Adell misjudged a fly ball in deep right field in the fifth inning. The ball bounced off Adell’s glove and over the fence, giving Solak what appeared to be his first home run of the season.
Upon review, though, the official scoring is a four-base error. Scorer Lary Bump consulted with the Elias Sports Bureau and was told four-base errors are “not unprecedented.”
“If the play could have been made with ordinary effort, it should be an error,” Elias Sports Bureau said. “If that ball does not go over the fence, would it be a double or a triple or an error? Four-base errors are very rare but not unprecedented. In the opinion of Elias, the official scorer has the right to call this an error or a home run. If he feels like it should have been caught with ordinary effort, it should be an error.”
So Bump made a judgment call in ruling it an error with the belief that it would have been an error under any other circumstance.
Rangers manager Chris Woodward said the team would likely appeal the ruling to get it changed to a home run. Solak agreed that it should have been scored a home run.
“Yeah, I think I deserve a home run for sure,” Solak said. “If I were a scorer, I’d always err on the side of giving guys more hits, but that’s me personally.”
In the MLB Rule Book, Rule 5.05(a)(9) states: “Any fair fly ball is deflected by the fielder into the stands, or over the fence into foul territory, in which case the batter shall be entitled to advance to second base; but if deflected into the stands or over the fence in fair territory, the batter shall be entitled to a home run. However, should such a fair fly be deflected at a point less than 250 feet from home plate, the batter shall be entitled to two bases only.”
According to Elias Sports Bureau, though, this is a “playing rule.”
“It means that the player circles the bases and scores,” Elias said.
Regardless, the play gave the Rangers a 6-2 lead through five innings. Texas ended up winning the game 7-3, completing a three-game sweep of the Angels.
Adell, the Angels’ top prospect who got turned around and made a last-second attempt to catch the ball on the warning track, put his hands on his head in disbelief as Solak circled the bases. Angels pitcher Mike Mayers was charged with an unearned run and taken out after the play.
The Rangers aren’t strangers to bizarre plays that result in fly balls being aided over the fence. In 1993, then-Rangers outfielder Jose Canseco had a ball bounce off his head and over the fence on what should have been a fly out by the Indians’ Carlos Martinez. That play was scored a home run.
This story was originally published August 9, 2020 at 4:01 PM.
