It’s not much. With two outs and a runner on second, Quintin Berry chopped a ball down the first-base line. Jarrod Parker pounced off the mound, and he ran to swipe the ball and run to the bag, and he ... juuuust missed.
The difference between three outs and giving up the lead
Even worse, he kind of shoveled the ball down the line, which allowed the runner from second to score, putting the Tigers up 2-1. The A’s would have been better off if Parker had whiffed entirely.
That’s the difference between getting out of the inning with the tie, and putting a runner on for Miguel Cabrera after giving up the lead. Cabrera would walk, putting runners on first and second for Prince Fielder
Fielder popped a ball up into no-A’s land, but Cliff Pennington ranged deep out into shallow left-center to come away with the catch. Parker came out of the inning a run down and eight pitches heavier than if he had just caught the ball.
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