First World Series replay reversal gives Giants spectacular double play

Thanks to a snazzy diving stop and flip by Joe Panik and a questionable head-first slide by Eric Hosmer, the San Francisco Giants turned a gorgeous double play in Game 7 that also became the first World Series play overturned by video replay.

It came in the bottom of the third inning with the score tied 2-2. Lorenzo Cain singled to lead off the inning for the Kansas City Royals. Eric Hosmer hit one hard up the middle, but Panik, the Giants' rookie second baseman, ranged to his right and made a great diving stop. He flipped the ball directly from his glove to shortstop Brandon Crawford to force Cain out at the second. Panik's portion of the play was pretty enough in its own right.

Then Crawford whipped the ball to first. Hosmer made the risky decision to slide headfirst into first base (we've seen a few thumb injuries this year because of head-first slides). Umpire Eric Cooper called Hosmer safe, but slow-motion replays proved that the ball beat Hosmer there by a knuckle.

The Giants challenged, as is their right, since video replay was introduced this season. We'd seen a call challenge in the World Series previously, but the umpire's call in Game 4 was upheld by replay. The watching-at-home TV audience saw half a dozen times that Hosmer was out, but the umps in Kansas City remained huddled waiting for their special replay counterparts in New York City to make the definitive call.

It took two minutes and 57 seconds to decide the call on the field was wrong. But the correct call was ultimately made, so the system triumphed. It also beneficial for the Giants, who turned a leadoff single into two outs. When Billy Butler grounded out afterward, it ended the inning — the potential threat — for the Royals.

The Giants then scored in the fourth inning to take a 3-2 lead.

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Mike Oz is an editor for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at mikeozstew@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @MikeOz

from Yahoo Sports http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mlb-big-league-stew/first-world-series-replay-reversal-gives-giants-spectacular-double-play-015839756.html