Russell Martin made a juggling catch from behind the plate to save Ryan Borucki's strikeout
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Tuesday night was just another Blue Jays game for 13-year veteran Russell Martin, but for starting pitcher Ryan Borucki, it was his MLB debut. Borucki had a tough task ahead of him in taming the lineup of the defending World Series champion Astros, so Martin was determined to help him any way that he could.
Although the Astros won, 7-0, Borucki kept the Blue Jays close while he was in the game. Martin guided him through six innings of two-run ball, and in the bottom of the fourth, he managed to nab an extra strikeout for the rookie. Brian McCann nicked an 0-2 curveball toward Martin's glove, but it briefly bounced away.
Not to worry: Russell came to the rescue.
Those are some great reflexes, especially considering Martin had never caught such a strike. "I don't ever remember in my whole life ever having a play like that," he said to MLB.com's Alyson Footer. "I just felt it go off the inside part of the glove. I saw it hang up there for a second. I just threw my glove up there and it ended up in my glove.
"I don't think the roll was necessary, but I threw that in there too. We'll take it."
Martin might be 35, but he can clearly still move quite well behind the plate.