Thread by @presidual

The entire game came down to 18 seconds. I have no words.

It took 18 seconds for the Dodgers to go from an 83% win expectancy and a 3-1 series lead to a loss and a 2-2 tie. Eighteen seconds.

This was the exact moment when Max Muncy caught Chris Taylor’s throw and turned toward home. Randy Arozarena was on the ground not even halfway to the plate. There’s no way this should have resulted in a run in a major league game, let alone the World Series.

This was the exact moment when Randy Arozarena got back on his feet. He was still 30+ feet from home. The ball was already on its way to Will Smith. Kenley Jansen was completely out of position. He should have been behind the catcher navigating the play.

Instead, tie series.

This was the exact moment when the ball arrived home. Will Smith lost the ball while attempting to pivot swiftly to apply the tag. Look at how much time there was before Randy Arozarena dove to the plate. And, again, Kenley Jansen was in the wrong place.

Here’s Randy Arozarena’s entire run from first to home. Watch closely when he gets to third. You can see Justin Turner pointing to the plate, Arozarena tumble, and Kenley Jansen in total no man’s land. The Dodgers gave it all away.

As we can see here, it wasn’t just that Randy Arozarena fell to the ground. He even took two steps back toward third. He had absolutely nowhere to go, then the Dodgers gave him the red carpet to score the winning run.

And, of course, that entire fiasco of an ending was made possible by Kenley Jansen’s terrible pitch on a 1-2 count. Even if you excuse his poor positioning away from home, this cutter was a complete mistake. It was supposed to be up and in, but it stayed middle.

The worst part about that fateful pitch was it happened twice. Kenley Jansen made the same mistake against Kevin Kiermaier *and* Brett Phillips. A cutter intended to be up and in was instead middle in, and *both* hitters singled softly to right-center.

Look at the location of those two Kenley Jansen cutters that were supposed to be up and in. His two mistake pitches ended up in nearly identical spots -- both in the zone and in right-center field.

Watch Will Smith carefully on these pitches. Look where he sets up, how he calls for the cutter up, then how he crouches back down because Kenley Jansen missed his spot. Practically identical.

https://twitter.com/presidual/status/1320237325016678401?s=20

I’m just noticing (from this angle

https://mobile.twitter.com/MLB/status/1320223443435032576/video/1

) that Kenley Jansen dropped to his knees upon conceding the hit. You can’t give up on the play like that. You have to stay locked in until the end. That was part and parcel with his inability to back up the catcher.

Chris Taylor was more than capable of making the play without botching it, but I do think that’s where the Dodgers missed Cody Bellinger’s defensive presence. It would have been a more “routine” play for Belli, who’s been the everyday centerfielder for a while in these big games.

https://twitter.com/Wassupdun/status/1320248153464078336