Choo bat deflection gave Rangers 2015 ALDS Game 5 lead

Martin was tossing ball back to pitcher

Wire Report IntelligenceUpdated 1h1 min read

Still one of the weirdest plays ever in the Postseason 🤯 Russell Martin was simply throwing this baseball back to the p Via @MLB on X

What happened: Russell Martin tossed the ball back toward the mound in Game 5 of the 2015 ALDS. The throw struck Shin-Soo Choo's bat and rolled away, letting the Rangers move ahead.

Why it matters: The sequence endures because a routine return throw became a live-ball lead change in a winner-take-all game. It remains a reference point for odd postseason rules and scoring plays.

What to watch: The current postseason continues with ALCS Game 2.

Sources

@MLB 2026-10-13T21:05:14.127343+00:00

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MLBAnalysisRangersRussell MartinShin-Soo Choo

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