Chris Taylor has unfortunate collision with Pablo Sandoval’s backside

Friday night, former Virginia baseball star and current Los Angeles Dodger Chris Taylor had an awkward and thankfully not injury-causing run-in at first base.

Let’s set the scene.

The Dodgers were squaring off with the San Francisco Giants, and Taylor sent the ball to the left side of the infield in the bottom of the fifth inning. San Francisco third baseman Wilmer Flores fielded the ball, and launched the throw into the stratosphere trying to get Taylor out.

Pablo Sandoval, the 5-11, 268 pound first baseman for the Giants made a valiant effort at the ball, but had absolutely no chance. Meanwhile, Taylor was plowing down the first base line trying to leg out the hit.

It didn’t end well for Taylor.

Honestly, it’s fortunate that Taylor didn’t have to leave the game after the incident. He narrowly missed Sandoval’s full weight coming down on his head, which would have been disastrous. Sandoval, nicknamed Panda, immediately turned around to check on his opponent.

“Pablo is built like a fire hydrant. I don’t like that matchup, as far as a head-to-head collision,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said after the game. Roberts also said Taylor will start at DH for Saturday’s game against the Giants (since the NL has implemented the role for the shortened 2020 season).

[record scratches] You might be wondering how I ended up here.

He would later get some revenge with a bases loaded infield single in the bottom of the eighth inning that pushed the Dodgers’ lead to 8-1. The Dodgers would go on to win 9-1, and Taylor finished the game 2-for-4 at the plate with one RBI and one walk. He’s hitting .400 for the season so far in five ABs.

Taylor and the Dodgers will close out the three-game series against the Giants in LA at 4:10pm ET on Fox.