deuces wild

English

Etymology

Refers to various card games where deuces are used as wild cards. Probably coined by Los Angeles Dodgers sportscaster Vin Scully.

Phrase

deuces wild

1. (baseball) A situation in a ballgame where there are two balls, two strikes, two outs and two men on base.
   • 2015, Michael Connelly, The Crossing‎^[1]:

     The deuces are wild, he would announce before a pitch. Two balls, two strikes, two out, two on, and two to two in the bottom of the second. Bosch could hear Scully's voice in his head as he considered that the deuces were now wild in his own game

   • 2011, Travis Haney, Gamecock Glory: The University of South Carolina Baseball Team's Journey to the 2010 NCAA Championship.‎^[2]:

     If there were two balls and two strikes on a batter, with two outs in an inning—what is called “deuces wild” in baseball—the bullpen would work like mad to get its pitcher out of the inning.