The Los Angeles Dodgers had just five hits in their 2-1 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks, but one loomed particularly large as it came immediately after David Peralta was caught stealing.
Peralta led off the second inning with a single and then tried to take advantage of what he perceived to be Merrill Kelly being slow to the plate. The veteran outfielder was initially ruled safe but the call was overturned on the Diamondbacks’ successful challenge.
Miguel Vargas followed with a double to the right-center field gap that would have easily scored Peralta had he successfully stolen second base, and potentially even if he remained on first.
That reality was not lost on Peralta as he took blame for the sequence, via Mike DiGiovanna of the L.A. Times:
“It always happens,” Peralta said of running into an out right before a big hit. “That was my fault. It pisses me off. But that’s how baseball goes.”
“I had a pretty good jump, so I just took my shot,” Peralta said. “It didn’t work out.”
Peralta has 33 stolen bases in 49 attempts during his career, but swiped just one bag last year and only four in the past four seasons. He had a career-high nine stolen bases in 2015, Peralta’s second season in the Majors.
Dave Roberts doesn’t fault David Peralta
Peralta’s attempt on Friday night was not called by Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, who nonetheless did not have issue with him taking that initiative.
“If he’s safe, then it’s a good play. If he’s out, then it’s a bad play. I don’t play that game,” Roberts said. “He felt he could steal the base and they overturned it, and he was called out.”
Prior to the game, Roberts said he would not be enticed to have his team run more simply because of the larger bases being part of new MLB changes this season. “We just don’t have the burners, prototype base stealer,” Roberts noted.
“So I’m not going to run just to run.”
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