“Really weird”: Sam Antonacci’s clever fake play fools Joey Ortiz in Italy vs Mexico WBC game as fans react

Italy escaped a tense moment against Mexico after Sam Antonacci used a clever fake play during their World Baseball Classic matchup. The quick move confused Mexico runner Joey Ortiz and helped Italy end the third inning without damage. It also stopped Mexico from turning the situation into a scoring chance.

The unusual play happened after Ortiz reached base and took off on a fly ball from Jarren Duran. Antonacci pretended the ball was hit to him near second base, which led Ortiz to keep running even though the ball had already been caught as fans watching the game quickly reacted online, calling the moment strange and praising the clever defensive move.

Sam Antonacci’s clever defensive deception helped Italy escape trouble early in the game

Italy entered the third inning holding a narrow 1–0 lead while Mexico tried to build pressure. Ortiz had reached base with a single and looked ready to move into scoring position. The next batter, Jarren Duran, lifted a fly ball toward shallow left center field. Instead of reacting like a typical infield play, Antonacci made a surprising move near second base.

The shortstop dove toward second base as if the ball had been hit to him. He quickly stood up and pretended to throw toward first base to begin a double play. Second baseman Jon Berti joined the act and mimicked a feed to second base.

In reality, the ball had already been caught by center fielder Jakob Marsee. While the outfielder secured the catch, the infield continued the fake play. Ortiz had taken off from first base on the pitch and appeared to believe the ball had dropped. He continued toward third base without realizing the fly ball had already been caught.

Because the ball was caught, Ortiz needed to return to first base before advancing. Instead, he was too far from the bag when Italy threw the ball back to the infield. Italy easily doubled Ortiz off at first base to end the inning. What looked like a scoring opportunity for Mexico quickly disappeared.

Fans react online as the unusual play quickly becomes a talking point

Fans quickly began reacting to the confusing moment. Some viewers compared the situation to a famous basketball mistake. One fan summed it up in a short comment. “JR Smith moment.”

Another user joked about the baserunning decision during the play. The fan wrote, “joey ortiz isn’t used to being on base.” The comment quickly gained attention online.

Others focused on how strange the entire sequence looked during the broadcast. One fan shared a simple reaction while watching the play unfold. “That’s the weirdest play of that game so far, really weird.”

A few viewers also praised Antonacci’s quick thinking on defense. One fan highlighted the creativity behind the fake move. “That's Sam Antonacci with the galaxy brain.” Some fans questioned the runner’s awareness during the moment. One viewer asked a direct question while reacting to the clip. “is he not looking at the ball in the air rounding 2nd?”

The missed opportunity became even more significant in the following inning. Italy quickly added another run after escaping the earlier threat. Berti stepped up to the plate and delivered a solo home run. The hit extended Italy’s lead and pushed the score to 2–0. Instead of building momentum earlier in the game, Mexico found itself further behind on the scoreboard.