Misleading reporting. The author truncated the actual MLB rule 7.08a, which reads in full:
7.08 Any runner is out when—
(a) (1) He runs more than three feet away from his base path to avoid being tagged
unless his action is to avoid interference with a fielder fielding a batted ball. A
runner’s base path is established when the tag attempt occurs and is a straight
line from the runner to the base he is attempting to reach safely; or
(2) after touching first base, he leaves the base path, obviously abandoning his
effort to touch the next base;
By (2), the runner obviously abandoned his effort to touch the next base after touching first base and should have been ruled out.
http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/downloads/y2012/Official_Baseball_Rul...