Los Angeles Angels third baseman Vaughn Grissom utilized a basketball-inspired bounce pass to execute an unconventional double play during the team's 5-1 win against the St. Louis Cardinals on Tuesday at Angel Stadium. The play occurred in the top of the third inning with a runner on first and one out.
Cardinals catcher Iván Herrera hit a ground ball to Grissom, who fielded it cleanly. As Grissom prepared to throw to second baseman Oswald Peraza, he noticed the sun was directly in Peraza's line of sight. To circumvent the glare, Grissom fired the ball into the dirt, allowing it to bounce to Peraza. Peraza successfully fielded the bounce and quickly threw to first baseman Nolan Schanuel for the double play.
The Angels secured their fourth consecutive win, matching their longest streak of the season. The team scored five runs in the first inning, highlighted by a two-run double from designated hitter Jorge Soler and a two-run home run from right fielder Jo Adell. Grissom also contributed an RBI single in the first inning.
On the mound, Angels starting pitcher Walbert Ureña delivered a strong performance, throwing six innings of one-run ball with five strikeouts. Ureña lowered his ERA to 2.78 with the outing. The Angels, now 41-61, are set to complete a three-game series against the Cardinals, who have lost 10 of their last 14 games.