The tension was palpable, bases brimming in the NLCS Game 1 on Monday. Brice Turang eyed a baseball rocketing toward him at 85 mph, and acted instinctively, logically.
He moved to avoid it.
Moments later, he swung at a high fastball, resulting in a game-ending strikeout. The Los Angeles Dodgers secured a 2-1 victory, leading the series 1-0 against his Milwaukee Brewers.
A hit-by-pitch would have equalized the score and prolonged the inning. However, Turang’s strikeout concluded the game, drawing online criticism and postgame inquiries about his ninth-inning performance.
Turang responded much like his dodge of the incoming ball — thoughtfully.
“It’s frustrating,” he admitted to reporters. “But it’s unavoidable. My instinct was to evade the ball, and I can’t change that. It’s in the past.”
Turang then discussed the high fastball that led to his third strike.
“I was anticipating a sinker or sweeper high in the zone,” he explained. “But he threw a four-seam, and it just took off. It happens.”
Again, these were measured responses to understandable actions. Humans aren’t naturally inclined to remain still when faced with a speeding object if they can avoid it. Expecting Turang to suppress his survival instincts is unrealistic, as is suggesting he should willingly become a target in a baseball game.
His strike-three swing, while not ideal, was also understandable. Sometimes hitters outsmart pitchers, and sometimes pitchers deceive hitters, leading them to swing at the wrong pitch. That’s part of baseball, and that’s what transpired with Turang on Monday.
Game 1 was exciting, highlighted by a stellar start from Dodgers’ Blake Snell and an extraordinary defensive play by the Brewers. Turang’s final at-bat didn’t determine the outcome, and he certainly shouldn’t be blamed for avoiding a fast-moving object.
