TORONTO — For so long as baseball has existed, a tough line drive that makes it by way of the infield and touches the outfield grass has virtually all the time resulted in a base hit.
However “virtually” is the operative phrase there, and Wednesday night time Pink Sox outfielder Wilyer Abreu ended the sport on a play that flipped the game’s standard knowledge on its head.
With two outs within the backside of the ninth Pink Sox left-hander Payton Tolle allowed what ought to have been a routine single to proper area by Blue Jays catcher Alejandro Kirk, however the ball was hit exhausting sufficient that by the point Abreu fielded the ball in shallow proper, the slow-footed Kirk was nonetheless barely midway down the road.
Recognizing he had an opportunity, Abreu uncorked a bullet to first base and nailed Kirk for the game-ending pressure out.
Following the sport Abreu nonetheless may hardly consider what had occurred, including that he’d by no means even had a play like that as a child.
“That was my first time,” Abreu mentioned. “It was very thrilling.”
A Gold Glove winner as a rookie final yr, Abreu has lengthy been thought to be having one of many strongest outfield arms in baseball even courting again to his time within the minor leagues. In accordance with MLB.com’s Ian Browne, Abreu’s throw was measured at 93.5 mph, and it went into the books as his seventh outfield help of the season.
“It’s a fantastic play,” Pink Sox supervisor Alex Cora mentioned postgame. “Understanding who’s working, the ball received hit exhausting and it was mainly a routine play for him.”
The bizarre play wrapped up an enormous 7-1 win for the Pink Sox, whose magic quantity to clinch a playoff berth is now down to 2.
With the Astros enjoying the Athletics in Wednesday’s late sport after which once more on Thursday afternoon, it’s potential the Pink Sox might wind up clinching earlier than they even take the sector for Thursday night time’s finale in opposition to the Blue Jays.
