A 4-9 flyout you'll have to see to believe
This browser does not support the video element.
ST PETERSBURG -- Guardians second baseman Andrés Giménez and right fielder Will Brennan teamed up Saturday to make a play you don’t see every day. Or hardly ever.
With no outs and a runner on first in the third inning of Cleveland’s 4-2 win against the Rays at Tropicana Field, Giménez raced into shallow right field to chase down a popup from Jonny DeLuca. Giménez, sprinting more than 100 feet, leapt into the air to make the grab in front of Brennan, who was charging in from right.
"At the last moment, I just put my glove up there," Giménez said. "I thought I would miss it."
The bad news for Cleveland? Giménez didn’t make the catch. The good news? Brennan did. The ball deflected off Giménez’s glove and then was caught on the backhand by a sliding Brennan, who quickly threw the ball into the infield to keep Richie Palacios at first base.
Just your standard, everyday, 4-9 putout.
"For me, it was surprising because backhanded, it is not easy," Giménez said of Brennan's snag. "Even with an outfielder's glove, it's really hard to catch those balls backhand, but he made an outstanding effort.
"I'm going to remember this one for a while."
According to the Elias Sports Bureau, it's the first time we've seen such a play since May 27, 2017, when Yankees second baseman Starlin Castro and right fielder Aaron Judge both got their gloves on a fly ball from A's third baseman Trevor Plouffe.
This browser does not support the video element.
After DeLuca was retired, Rays first baseman Yandy Díaz broke the scoreless tie with an RBI double down the left-field line that brought Palacios home. But the ridiculous play from Giménez and Brennan helped limit Tampa Bay to one run in the inning as starting pitcher Gavin Williams retired the next two batters to get out of the frame.
"You see something new every day in this game," Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said, "and it is just beautiful."