The ball headed toward home with three hard bounces, skipping like a rock across a pond. It was so low that Houston Astros catcher Hank Conger had to field it on his knees. But he scooped it up cleanly and jabbed his glove into the ribs of the 220-pound Brian McCann, who was barreling down on him and trying to score the game’s first run — diving, flopping, crashing home with a dramatic thud.
When the dust settled, McCann was sprawled on one side of the plate, Conger another. The home-plate umpire, Gabe Morales, punched the air: McCann was out, and the Yankees’ best scoring opportunity of the night appeared to be gone with him.