Liam Hicks ranked 496th in MLB sprint speed, making the Tampa Bay Rays’ decision to send him home a risky gamble. With a narrow lead over the Milwaukee Brewers in Game 2 of the World Series, third-base coach Brady Williams waved Hicks toward the plate. Jackson Chourio’s throw stopped the scoring attempt, leaving fans questioning why Tampa Bay took that chance.
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“It was really bad could cost em the game,” a fan wrote after the Rays’ third-base coach waved Hicks home.
The decision quickly drew criticism because Hicks was hardly the ideal runner for that situation. His reported sprint speed was 25.7 feet per second. Chourio, meanwhile, had the arm strength to make Tampa Bay pay for taking that chance. The play ended with Contreras completing the tag with Hicks nowhere near home plate.
One frustrated fan summed up the concern, writing, “No way you send the slowest player in that situation. No way.”
The Rays challenged the out, arguing that Contreras had illegally blocked the plate, but the original call stood. That left Tampa Bay without the extra run it had tried to create, keeping the Brewers within striking distance. The missed opportunity became even more painful when Milwaukee returned to bat in the bottom of the 6th. Sal Frelick launched a solo home run to center field off a 92.9 mph fastball, tying the game at 4-4.
Another fan questioned the decision, writing, “Runner was nowhere near 3rd base yet when Chourio had the ball. Taking chances is a good thing, but this wave was absurd.”
One fan expressed the wider frustration, writing, “Rays are shooting themselves in the foot; mistakes like these can’t happen with only a 1-run lead.”
And Milwaukee did make them pay for that as they continued putting pressure on Tampa Bay in the 7th, turning the tie into a 5-4 Milwaukee lead. Brice Turang hit a double to center field, and a sac-fly from Mitchell advanced Turang to 3rd. A line drive single from Cooper Pratt to right field gave the Brewers the lead that was coming all game.
One fan directed particular frustration toward Williams, writing, “Look at this stupidity. Why would you wave Liam Hicks home? Fire that third base coach, man.”
However, the decision to send Hicks was not the first time the Rays had lost an opportunity through aggressive baserunning. In Game 1, the Rays trailed 2-1 in the 5th inning when Victor Mesa Jr. stood on second with 2 outs. Yandy Díaz was batting, giving the Rays a chance to bring home their runner without taking another risk. Mesa attempted to steal third on a 103 mph fastball from Jacob Misiorowski. But Contreras caught the ball and threw a strong throw to David Hamilton. Hamilton tagged Mesa out, ending the inning before Díaz could finish his at-bat.
The Rays made another costly mistake in the following inning, when Jonathan Aranda singled with 1 out. With Chandler Simpson batting, Tampa Bay told Aranda to steal second. Abner Uribe threw a slider in the dirt; Simpson swung and missed for the third strike, and Contreras recovered the ball before throwing Aranda out. The resulting strikeout and caught stealing ended another promising inning without a run.
Manager Kevin Cash accepted responsibility for the decision, while Mesa also apologized for his earlier mistake after the 3-2 defeat. Now, the repeated mistakes have left fans questioning whether Tampa Bay is taking too many risks when runs matter most.
And that was the difference at the end of the game. The Rays lost 5-4 in Game 2 of the World Series, and these moments show why each decision must account for the runner, the situation, and the opposing defense.