Manny Machado almost pulled a fast one on the Boston Red Sox on Saturday night. In the third inning, the San Diego Padres third baseman attempted the hidden ball trick on Jarren Duran at third base, but because pitcher Wandy Peralta was standing on the rubber without the ball, it was called a balk. Rather than be called out, Duran was allowed to score, giving the Red Sox a 2-1 lead.
Alex Bregman had been caught in a rundown on the previous play and Machado simply held onto the baseball. He placed a tag on Duran once he took his lead, and Duran would have been out had Peralta not been on the rubber. If Peralta had been, say, behind the mound fiddling with the rosin bag, it would have been a legal play and a successful hidden ball trick.
Here's the play:
"I thought it was a grea