Bellinger cuts down Kinsler, making up for gaffe on bases

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Ian Kinsler headed home, trying to get his 200-pound frame to the plate with the go-ahead run before Cody Bellinger's throw from center field.

Bellinger caught Eduardo Nunez's drive 275 feet from home for the second out of the 10th inning, planted his right foot and heaved.

It was quite a play, keeping the Boston Red Sox and Los Angeles Dodgers tied at 1 in Game 3 of the World Series.

Kinsler took about 10 strides to near the plate as Dodgers catcher Austin Barnes realized the throw was up the third-base line and shuffled up past the batter's box.

Realizing a slide would not help, Kinsler veered to the infield side of the baseline and tried to go around the catcher, like a car trying to switch lanes to avoid a bottleneck. About 6 feet from the plate, Barnes caught the ball and tagged Kinsler in the midsection as the Boston runner tumbled past the plate without touching it.

Bellinger had never before started a double play from the outfield in his big league career. The only other outfielder to throw out a runner at the plate in extra innings of a World Series game was Oakland's Joe Rudi, according to STATS. Rudi cut down the New York Mets' Bud Harrelson in Game 2 in 1973.

The thrilling throw made up for Bellinger's baserunning gaffe the previous inning.

The NLCS MVP led off the ninth with a single against David Price. But Bellinger broke from first base too early when trying to steal second with one out and was caught by the left-hander and tagged out in a rundown.

Price walked Yasmani Grandal and Red Sox closer Craig Kimbrel came in and walked Chris Taylor only for Brian Dozier to foul out.