Aaron Judge might be a rookie, but he pulled off a perfect deke on Rafael Devers
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Thursday night featured a Yankees-Red Sox showdown with heavy playoff implications, so outs were certainly at a premium for both sides. In the top of the sixth inning, Aaron Judge found an opportunity to steal one, helping snuff out a Red Sox rally.
Fellow rookie Rafael Devers had walked with one out, and Hanley Ramirez then lifted a shallow fly to right field that fell in for a base hit. Normally, Devers would have moved to second base without a problem, but Judge had a trick up his sleeve.
Judge approached the ball with his glove up, acting like he might catch it. When the ball bounced, he quickly threw in to Didi Gregorius at second base:
The deke worked to perfection. Devers froze in the middle of the baseline, and then briefly stepped back toward first.
By the time he darted back toward second, it was too late.
Devers was out on the fielder's choice. Instead of having to work out of a jam with runners on first and second with just one out, CC Sabathia only needed one more. He got it when Chris Young grounded out to Gregorius, and the Yankees went on to win, 6-2.
Pretty crafty for a rookie.