During Wednesday’s game between the San Francisco Giants and Arizona Diamondbacks showdown at Oracle Park, a key eighth-inning sequence led to one of the most animated ejections of the 2025 MLB season.
With two outs and the Giants trailing 8–6, Christian Koss collided with D-backs second baseman Jordan Lawlar as he rounded second base. The play appeared bang-bang — Lawlar was in the basepath, but Koss made little effort to recover. Umpires ruled obstruction and awarded Koss second base, keeping the inning alive.
D-backs manager Torey Lovullo erupted, ultimately getting tossed and mock-ejecting all four umpires on his way out.
“I felt like they were just trying to cover themselves a little bit,” Lovullo said postgame via MLB.com. “But I stand corrected — they got the call right.”
Still, the play has triggered a wave of scrutiny: Was that obstruction… or did Koss sell it?
MLB’s Obstruction Rule: Rare, but Loophole-Prone
Obstruction is governed by Rule 6.01(h)(1) of the MLB rulebook, which states that a fielder not possessing the ball, and not in the act of fielding it, cannot impede the runner.
There’s no mention of intent, meaning even accidental obstruction is called. But this gray area is precisely where the Koss incident becomes sticky.
According to Baseball Rules Academy, obstruction is rarely called in MLB, averaging 10–15 times per season league-wide. In a sport with thousands of baserunning plays annually, it’s a microscopic figure. When it is called, it’s usually blatant. The Koss play was not.
“There are so few of these calls, umpires often have to rely on instinct and positioning,” former MLB umpire Dale Scott told The Athletic in a 2022 obstruction analysis. “But if a player stays down or looks impeded, it influences perception.”
Flop or Legit Play?
Koss didn’t attempt to recover after the collision. He hit the turf, remained there, and was immediately awarded the base. The umpires convened, then confirmed the ruling — obstruction.
And yet, the visuals tell another story. Koss made no visible effort to get back up and run. He didn’t turn to third. The timing of his fall — directly into Lawlar’s space — raised eyebrows. Was it a flop?
There’s no penalty in MLB for embellishment like there is in the NBA. But in a season where the Giants have gains in offense, Koss’s savvy — or luck — may have changed the game’s trajectory. He was left on base, but the moment allowed Heliot Ramos to devise the potential go-ahead run.
Even Lovullo admitted he initially believed it was gamesmanship, only backing down after seeing the replay.
Koss in Context: A Role Player With Smart Instincts
This was just Koss’ 32nd game in the majors. The 27-year-old infielder slashes .241/.302/.293 on the year with 1 HR and 8 RBI — modest numbers. But he’s been a stabilizing force with Casey Schmitt and Tyler Fitzgerald on the IL, logging over 140 innings at second base without an error.
His real value has come situationally. Per FanGraphs, he’s batting .280 with runners in scoring position — and on Tuesday, he crushed his first MLB home run: a grand slam.
Whether or not the obstruction play was theatrical, it came from a player with a reputation for high baseball IQ. Giants pitcher Robbie Ray called him “calm, smart and always in the right place” after Tuesday’s win.
A New Era of Smart Baserunning?
What Koss did may toe the line between flop and fundamentals, but it worked. As MLB modernizes rules and reviews, this case may be used in offseason discussions.
Until then, don’t be surprised if more players recognize that staying down might be as effective as running hard.
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