Alex Bregman gave the Astros an improbable 11-inning comeback victory Tuesday when he used his head twice, in very different ways, on the same play.
First, he made a smart move by jumping to avoid a tag attempt by A's catcher Jonathan Lucroy rather than giving himself up after hitting a ball about 10 feet in front of home plate.
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Then, he unwittingly went into World Cup mode and headed Lucroy's throw into right field, which brought home Kyle Tucker with the winning run in a 6-5 triumph. Bregman stayed in the baseline while running, so he wasn't called out for interference.
Bregman's night also included a pair of home runs, but those have already been forgotten because of what happened on the ball that barely made its way into play — a ball that left Bregman upset after the game.
"(The ending) was weird because I swung at a horrible pitch that I shouldn't have swung at," Bregman told reporters (via Mark Berman of Houston TV station KRIV).
Lucroy, meanwhile, kept his head up as he faced reporters (per NBC Sports Bay Area). He said he lost the "game of angles" on the fateful throw.
"It's a good throw but it hit him right in the side of the helmet," Lucroy said.
