The Milwaukee Brewers lost Game 4 of the World Series, and an error by Joey Ortiz in the 12th inning played a big role.
Leading by one run after Cooper Pratt's clutch home run, the Brewers were three outs away from winning the World Series. The biggest threat in the Tampa Bay Rays lineup, Junior Caminero, was leading off the bottom of the 12th inning, and if they got him, they were in a really good spot.
Antonio Senzatela got Caminero to hit a ground ball to third base, but Joey Ortiz did not make a good throw and Jake Bauers was unable to mask Ortiz's mistake with a good pick. Caminero came around to score and tie the game before the Rays eventually walked it off.
Ortiz is about as sure-handed as they come, ranking in the 99th percentile for outs above average. On a team that has a Platinum Glover in Brice Turang, a Gold Glover in Sal Frelick and elite defenders like Jackson Chourio, Garrett Mitchell and Luis Lara, it's possible Ortiz is still the best defender.
The Game 4 error is not changing how the Brewers view his glove.
"There's not a person on the field I want the ball hit to more than him," third base coach Matt Erickson said after the game, per MLB.com's Adam McCalvy.
That's no small praise from Erickson. As mentioned before, the Brewers have Turang playing second base, and he is one of the best defenders in the entire sport.
Ortiz has not had a good postseason, but baseball has a funny way of giving guys another chance. Ortiz will have another opportunity to make a play in this World Series, and he could right all his wrongs by coming through in a big moment.