The Los Angeles Dodgers opened the second half of the season on Friday with a bang by taking down the red-hot Boston Red Sox 4-1 thanks to a clutch 8th-inning grand slam from Freddie Freeman after the bats struggled to get anything going all night.
One of the highlights of the game came in the top of that same 8th inning when an incredible play was made to snuff out any chance of a rally and get the team back into the dugout ahead of the deciding rally.
With one out and Tyler O’Neill on first base, Rafael Devers looped a fly ball to shallow left field toward Miguel Vargas, and the left fielder made the play before quickly launching an incredible throw back to first base to catch O’Neill slipping and after a successful challenge, complete the 7-3 double play to end the inning.
Miguel Vargas turns a 7-3 double play with a cannon of a throw. 💪 pic.twitter.com/h2uYImg7As
— MLB (@MLB) July 20, 2024
The Dodgers only had two hits up until that point and the offense got nothing going against Nick Pivetta all night as he gave up just two hits and one walk with eight strikeouts over six scoreless innings of work.
Vargas has taken well to left field so far after playing second base all of last season, as up until 2024, the four starts he made in left in 2022 were the only appearances in left field of his career.
As is so often the case, after making this incredible throw to end the top of the 8th inning, Vargas then led off the bottom of the 8th with a walk to kick off the game-winning rally.
