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Fans got to witness a rarely seen feat on Sunday during a matchup between the Tampa Bay Rays and Boston Red Sox. As the AL East foes faced off, Rays slugger Yandy Diaz recorded a Little League HR.
The inside-the-park “homer” came thanks to some embarrassing play from the Boston infield, which allowed Diaz to touch ’em all in the least conventional way possible.
The Rays controlled the game from start to finish Sunday afternoon, jumping out to a quick 3-1 lead through the first four innings. The teams would trade runs in the fifth frame before things unraveled for Boston in the sixth.
With Tampa Bay third baseman Yandy Diaz at the dish, the Red Sox turned into the Bad News Bears.
On a 1-2 count, Diaz slapped a single to right field. Manuel Margot, who was on first base at the time, was stealing on the pitch. He was waved home as the Red Sox outfield corralled the hit.
A relay home was late to get the runner, and Diaz took full advantage by bolting for second base on the throw to the plate. Catcher Connor Wong attempted to throw Diaz out, but that attempt was errant.
His throw sailed into center field allowing Diaz to circle the bases and touch home.
Little League Home Run, def: a play during which a batter scores a run during their plate appearance with the aid of one or more errors committed by the fielding team. pic.twitter.com/K8YXxfDVn7
— Tampa Bay Rays (@RaysBaseball) June 4, 2023
Fans were quick to comment on the embarrassing display of defense.
One person wrote, “Apathy. This is awful…”
Someone else said, “This cannot happen on a Major League field.”
This fan agreed, saying, “Send the Red Sox to Triple-A.”
It’s even better when you add some music over the broadcast.
That botched Red Sox play but with the Benny Hill theme. pic.twitter.com/x0Qrx59HGT
— Thomas Carrieri (@Thomas_Carrieri) June 4, 2023
The Rays would go on to win the game, 6-2. Tampa Bay currently holds the best record in baseball at 42-19. Boston, meanwhile, is in last place in the AL East.