What happened: The slide came in the wild-card round. The only baserunner reached via walk, and one at-bat ended on a disputed eighth-inning check swing.

Why it matters: Back-to-back empty at-bats stall rallies and push run production to the bottom of the order. In a short series, another quiet night narrows the margin for advancing.

What to watch: Watch the next wild-card game for two-strike adjustments and whether contact returns.