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By Ben Watanabe
Contributing Sports Writer
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Not even the most solid and reliable veterans are immune to a brain fart from time to time.
There aren't many more savvy players in MLB than Philadelphia Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto. A heady 13-year vet, Realmuto has long been among the elite of the elite defensively and is the rare backstop who provides value with his bat as well as his glove.
The end of Tuesday's game was not a good indication of what Realmuto typically contributes, though.
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With one out and runners on second and third base in the bottom of the ninth inning, Realmuto -- who was on second -- ran into an unsightly double play to end the game.
Just watch.
When Justin Crawford got hung up between third and home on a Brandon Marsh grounder, Realmuto reached third and should have stayed there once it was obvious Crawford would be out. Inexplicably, Realmuto retreated the second base just as Crawford was tagged out, which made Realmuto dead meat between second and third.
Ballgame over.
Phillies manager Don Mattingly admitted he "didn't know what J.T. was thinking there" after the game. Realmuto didn't mince words, either.
"It was just a bad baserunning play, really," Realmuto said in a video posted to X by WIP-FM's Dave Uram.
Everybody makes mistakes, but the Phillies can't afford any such lapses. They entered Wednesday three games back of the Atlanta Braves in the NL East, and leading a crowded NL Wild Card race. One or two games could end up determining whether they claim a division pennant or spend the postseason watching from home.
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