Jeff McNeil Got A 3-Run ‘Home Run’ Because The Red Sox Catcher Threw A Ball To The Center Field Wall

There are few things in professional sports funnier than when the very best athletes in the world make mistakes reminiscent of a kids game.

In baseball, that is usually done by making horrific errors in the field, and on Saturday the Red Sox authored exactly that kind of moment against the Mets. Down 2-0 and with runners on second and third, Jeff McNeil laced a liner up the middle to tie the game. The center fielder tried to throw the ball to the plate to get the second runner, but realizing that was not going to be in time, catcher Jorge Alfaro jumped up in front of the plate to cut the throw off and try to get McNeil stretching a single into a double.

The only problem was the throw was, uh, well off line and ended up going all the way to the center field wall 400 feet away, allowing McNeil to round the bases to the delight of his teammates for a very little league home run.

Pete Alonso and Francisco Lindor bouncing around behind the plate in joy as McNeil rounds third is the best part of this. It’s not just that the throw was wildly off line, but it was also thrown so hard that neither outfielder could cut it off before it got to the wall. It was the right play by Alfaro, as an on target throw had a chance to get McNeil at second, it was just the execution that was severely lacking.