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Former All-Star defends Isiah Kiner-Falefa over baserunning controversy

Originally posted on Larry Brown Sports
By Steve DelVecchio | Last updated Nov 3, 2025 10:06 AM ET

Toronto Blue Jays fans were angry with Isiah Kiner-Falefa over what they felt was a costly baserunning mistake during Game 7 of the World Series on Saturday night, but one former All-Star insists Kiner-Falefa did nothing wrong on the play.

Kiner-Falefa entered Game 7 as a pinch-runner for Bo Bichette with the score tied 4-4 at Rogers Centre in Toronto. He ended up on third base with one out and Daulton Varsho at the plate. Varsho hit a ground ball to Los Angeles Dodgers second baseman Miguel Rojas, who made the play and threw home for the force out.

Fans felt that Kiner-Falefa took a poor lead off third base and should have been a step or two further down the line. That would have potentially allowed him to beat the throw and score the game-winning run, as Rojas double-clutched on the play.

Whit Merrifield, a three-time MLB All-Star who led the league in stolen bases three times, took to social media on Sunday to defend Kiner-Falefa. Merrifield said Kiner-Falefa was “exactly right” with the way he approached the situation.

“He did exactly right here. The #1 rule with bases loaded and less than 2 outs is you cannot get doubled up on a line drive to 3rd baseman. So your lead is as far as the 3rd baseman is from the bag. He did this perfect,” Merrifield wrote on X.

He did exactly right here. The #1 rule with bases loaded and less than 2 outs is you cannot get doubled up on a line drive to 3rd baseman. So your lead is as far as the 3rd baseman is from the bag. He did this perfect. https://t.co/korRLsDanR
— Whit Merrifield (@WhitMerrifield) November 2, 2025

Some fans argued that Kiner-Falefa’s secondary lead was the issue, but Merrifield said runners are not supposed to have a large secondary lead in a situation like that. The former utility player, who played a portion of his nine-year MLB career in Toronto, said Kiner-Falefa had to be careful because his momentum was taking him toward home plate.

Merrifield said Kiner-Falefa did what players have been taught to do in that situation for decades.

It’s also a 1 in 1000 outcome that the 2nd baseman stumbles fielding a ball and you have a chance to be safe at home. You can’t get doubled off and you can’t get back picked from the catcher. It’s how it’s been taught for 100 years. Easy to yell about after the fact.
— Whit Merrifield (@WhitMerrifield) November 2, 2025

To start. But he does right but taking his secondary and getting his momentum going towards home. He’s just inside of where Muncy is positioned. I’ve watched the video multiple times. He did it exactly how you teach it.
— Whit Merrifield (@WhitMerrifield) November 2, 2025

Another issue for Kiner-Falefa was that he slid feet-first into home rather than head-first. Merrifield admitted that he believes head-first would have been a better approach, but the former All-Star did not think Kiner-Falefa’s lead was the issue.

The Blue Jays lost the game 5-4 in 11 innings. There was plenty of blame to go around, and one player placed the loss on his own shoulders with a heartbreaking comment.

This article first appeared on Larry Brown Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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