Nelson Cruz's play was worse than Bill Buckner's error

David Freese hit a walk off, game winning World Series tying home run last night... and it wasn't even his most dramatic hit of the night. Not by a LONG shot.

He got his homer off of Mark Lowe... a guy who wasn't even on the playoff roster for the Division Series and ALCS. And the game was tied.

In the 9th he faced an All Star closer in Neftali Feliz and was down to the last strike before elimination.

And his drive to right field looked like it was well hit but not good enough.

Admit it, you thought the World Series was over. Nelson Cruz looked like he was slowing up with a beat on the ball. And up he leaped.

And he didn't have it.

He jumped up too soon, like he didn't know where the wall was.
The ball sailed over his head and off the wall. The two runs scored.

So why is that worse than the Buckner play?
Unlike Bill Buckner's error, this play COULD have won the World Series!
Buckner's error ended Game 6 of the 1986 World Series... but the game was tied on the Wild Pitch.

If Cruz caught the ball (and we ALL thought he was about to) then that would have been it.
The Texas Rangers would have been the World Champs.

Who knows how this series will unfold tonight?
Who knows if there will be another highlight that will overshadow last night's game. (Think that's not possible? Remember how 1991 and 2001 had Game 7 finales that become the main highlight?)

A Rangers win tonight would make his play a forgotten footnote (like the wild pitch that tied Game 6 of the 1986 World Series.)

If they don't, then you can RIGHTLY say they would have won the World Series if he made that catch.