Wheel play

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The wheel play is a baseball strategy designed to defend against the bunt. The play is most frequently seen in situations in which the offense has runners on first and second (or just second), and it is crucial for the defense to get the lead runner out.

While many bunt defenses focus on simply getting an out anywhere, the wheel play is designed to get an out at third base. As the pitch is thrown, the third basemen sprints toward home plate, and the shortstop simultaneously runs to cover third base. The shortstop must be at least a few feet ahead of the runner on second for the play to work. Ideally, as the ball is bunted, the third basemen is only a few feet in front of the batter, and can easily field the bunt and throw to the shortstop (covering third base) for the out.

The play's name derives from the wheel-like rotation of the infielders.