The Los Angeles Dodgers were given a huge boost by a ball boy during their MLB game against the Miami Marlins.

The NL West franchise was up 3-0 in the sixth inning at Marlins Park Thursday night when Freddie Freeman hit a shot that landed beyond the infield and inside the right field foul line. A Miami ball boy recovered the ball after it bounced into foul territory and, shocking everyone in the arena, threw it into the crowd for unknown reasons.

The Dodgers were given the run after the on-field umpires conferred to determine how to handle the strange occurrence. This is because Mookie Betts, who was standing on first base when Freeman was at the plate, had already made his way past third base.

As chaos ensued around him, the ball boy kept his cool and seemed oblivious to what he had done as the Dodgers extended their lead. As the ball boy re-took his seat before taking a drink, MLB fans quickly took to social media after the fielding howler, with one writing on social media platform X: “Ballboy’s worst nightmare.”

Following the assist from an unlikely source, the Dodgers went on to claim a 10-0 victory over the Marlins to leave them top of the NL West. Rookie Ryan Pepiot turned in a great performance and pitched a perfect game for six and a third innings after taking Julio Urías’ place in the Dodgers’ rotation.

He was recalled from Triple-A Oklahoma City after Urias was placed on the restricted list following an arrest on Sunday due to suspicion of felony domestic violence. The 26-year-old Pepiot made his first two major league appearances of the season earlier this month. During spring training, he sustained an oblique strain, but he was supposed to start the season with the Dodgers.

Pepiot consistently attacked the zone and retired the first 20 batters he faced. He had an opportunity to become the first Dodgers pitcher to toss a perfect game since Sandy Koufax did so in September 1965 in this particular game. “It was like the fifth inning,” Pepiot said when he realised he had an opportunity to register a perfect game. “When I finished the fifth, no one was talking to me anymore.

“I noticed the zero when I looked up. But yeah, everyone was sliding by me, and then no one would sit anywhere near me.” However, following two outs in the seventh inning, Josh Bell snapped perfection with a single back up the middle.

“There’s a little bit of disappointment because, obviously, you want to have one of those special moments,” Pepiot added when the run came to an end. “But it’s baseball. The guy got on base and hit a good pitch. Anything can happen in the game.”

After what was an impressive result for the Dodgers, there is some cause for concern after right fielder Betts left the stadium afterward on crutches. He was out of the game in the eighth inning, having only taken a pitch off his foot in the first. It is unclear which specific play caused the injury. He will be watched before the team’s next game against the Washington Nationals, even though X-rays apparently came back negative.