Buster Posey's Rules Flub Nearly Costs Giants as SF Misses Out on Two-Runners-One-Base Double Play

With one out and Dodgers baserunners on second and third in the top of the 9th inning, San Francisco held a 2-1 lead as LA's Will Smith's ground ball wound up in Buster Posey's mitt as baserunner R3 Justin Turner tried to score. Article: https://www.closecallsports.com/2021/09/busters-pocket-full-of-posey-rules.html

Posey ran Turner back to third base where R2 Cory Seager had advanced to and tagged both runners as they stood on third base. 3B Umpire Nestor Ceja instinctively waited for Posey to tag the following runner—Seager—upon which Ceja pointed at Seager and called him out pursuant to Official Baseball Rule 5.06(a)(2) regarding two runners occupying the same base.

In a non-force situation, the preceding (lead) runner is entitled to the base while in a force-play situation, the following (trail) runner is entitled to the base. Because this play began with first base unoccupied, there was no force, and preceding runner R3 Turner was entitled to remain on third base.

As both Seager and Turner voluntarily vacated third base, Posey went to tag Seager—the runner who was already out. Giants broadcaster Jon Miller was on top of it: "The runner who is out is the trailing runner. Now he walks off the bag and Posey may have tagged the wrong guy. He was already out!"