Statcast of the Day: Latest 5-star CarGo grab
Second straight game Rockies right fielder has made such a catch
DENVER -- Rockies right fielder Carlos Gonzalez's 5-star catches are becoming a daily thing. And the one he made Wednesday afternoon during a 3-0 win allowed rookie pitcher German Marquez to dream -- at least for a little.
Gonzalez ranged toward the foul line and laid out to grab a line drive from Cubs pitcher Kyle Hendricks. The catch, according to Statcast™, had an 18 percent Catch Probability. He covered 37 feet in 2.9 seconds.
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The catch was the second out of the sixth inning, when Marquez had not given up a hit, having allowed only a two-out walk to Kyle Schwarber in the first at that point. Kristopher Bryant doubled to open the seventh, but Marquez ended up going eight innings in the victory.
"That was when I started thinking about a no-hitter," Marquez said. "That play was really good."
Hendricks didn't know how close he came to a hit.
"I honestly didn't even see it off the bat," he said. "[Marquez] was throwing hard today. I thought I fouled that back. [Gonzalez] made a hell of a catch there in right."
Gonzalez made a catch with a 5 percent Catch Probability during the Rockies' 10-4 victory over the Cubs in the first game of a doubleheader on Tuesday, with Gonzalez traveling 41 feet in 2.9 seconds to snare Javier Baez's liner.
The highlight plays are falling into the glove of Gonzalez this year. Last year, according to Statcast™, he had 30 scenarios where a 5-star catch was possible but came up empty. This year, he is 3-for-8.
It's a way to contribute for Gonzalez, a three-time All-Star who is struggling offensively with a .188 batting average.
"He's been playing great defensively," Rockies manager Bud Black said. "You watch CarGo play, he's playing the game hard, which is what we ask. It's what we ask each other. It's what we ask from a coaching-staff perspective. He's running balls hard down the line. He's playing good defense. And the hitting will come."