Brewers player ripped for avoiding hit-by-pitch that would have tied game: ‘All he had to do was stand there’

When Brice Turang moved out of the way of a 1-2 breaking ball Monday night, just about everyone watching thought to themselves, “Wear it.”

The bases were loaded for the Milwaukee Brewers with the tying run on third in the bottom of the ninth. Had Turang not moved out of the way, the Brewers very likely would have tied the game.

But instincts got to him, and one pitch later, Turang swung at a ball out of the zone to give the Los Angeles Dodgers a 1-0 lead in the National League Championship Series.

Social media users, most of whom have never seen an 85 mph sweeper at their legs, were quick to call out Turang for the supposed brain fart.

“All he had to do was stand there and not move,” wrote one X user.

Another critic called it “probably the lowest iq (at-bat) I’ve ever seen.”

“Dude had one job,” added one more.

“Today’s players just don’t use common sense,” said another.

Turang said he had instant regret when he moved out of the way.

“Well, if you see me look in the dugout, I’m thinking, ‘Damn,'” Turang said. “I know it. Everybody knows it. I couldn’t tell you why I did it. I just got out of the way. That’s just how it is.”

Brewers manager Pat Murphy defended his player.

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“When the ball is coming towards you, your natural thing, it’s a breaking ball, your natural thing is to do that,” Murphy said. “And I know he was thinking the same thing after the ball passed. It happens. He’ll learn from that situation. But it’s hard. Even if you try to maneuver yourself, it’s hard to get hit by the pitch because it’s so reactionary.”

There were plenty of other defenders that snuck through the social media toughness.

“Even if I knew a pitch was going to hit me I don’t think I could convince my mind and body not to avoid it,” one wrote.

“Reflexes suck sometimes…” wrote another.

Blake Snell spun a gem, tossing eight innings of scoreless, one-hit ball as the Brewers’ valiant comeback in the ninth fell just short.

Game 2 will take place in Milwaukee on Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET.

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