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Roberts revealed Saturday that he pinch-hit for catcher Will Smith in Game 5 because Smith took a foul tip off the back of his left catching hand earlier in the game.

Smith then failed to corral a potential inning-ending third strike on a foul tip, allowing Harrison Bader to score Alvarez with a single to center — an RBI aided by Andy Pages’ bobbling of the ball in the outfield, negating any attempt for a play at the plate.

Rangers manager Bruce Bochy, a former big league catcher, said Heim can’t assume that the umpire saw the foul tip or heard anything.

“It’s so loud out there. I’m sure he couldn’t hear a foul tip, we couldn’t see it,” Bochy said.

Michael Busch scored from second base on what Heim thought was a foul tip, and he didn’t immediately retrieve the ball.