This story was excerpted from Mark Sheldon’s Reds Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

Reds outfielders have gone to great lengths to rob hitters by making fantastic catches -- even if it's on a ball hit by an old college buddy.

During Saturday’s 5-0 win over the White Sox, Stuart Fairchild was playing right field in the fourth inning when Gavin Sheets hit a drive to right-center. Fairchild ran 70 feet and laid out to make an excellent diving catch.

That catch wasn't just business, it was personal.

"Unfortunately, the guy in right who made that catch was my college roommate," Sheets told Chicago reporters, including MLB.com's Scott Merkin. "He's a great athlete, and obviously, their defense -- their outfield -- has been playing really well all series."

Fairchild and Sheets played baseball for Wake Forest, and both were a second-round selection (Fairchild at No. 38 overall, Sheets at No. 49) in the 2017 MLB Draft.

“Gavin and I were in the same class at Wake, lived in the same dorm sophomore and junior year,” Fairchild said on Sunday. “He’s one of my good friends.”

Maybe not as much after the catch?

“No, I don’t think he was very happy about it," Fairchild joked.

Fairchild, Sheets and other friends/teammates from Wake Forest are part of a text thread. Not surprisingly, the catch was a topic on Saturday night into Sunday.

“It was circulating on our group chat," Fairchild said. “He’s got a good attitude about that kind of thing. We laughed about it.”

Sheets, who is a lefty-hitting right fielder and first baseman, certainly harbored no hard feelings.

"I've been on the defensive side of that with him, so I enjoyed that a lot more than hitting it to him," Sheets said. "But he's a great athlete, and obviously, you enjoy seeing guys that you came up with in college and roomed with succeed as well."

Reds outfielders are having their moment defensively this season.

Also on Saturday, left fielder Spencer Steer made a sliding catch on a low liner in the sixth inning -- also off the bat of Sheets. Two innings later, Bubba Thompson was playing center field when he took an extra-base hit away from Martín Maldonado. On a deep drive to the wall in left-center field, Thompson covered 96 feet before making a sliding catch on the warning track.

“Great plays," Reds manager David Bell said. "Starting with Stuart. Thought he had no chance off the bat, and he just continued to track it and do everything he could to make that play. Spencer, a sneaky tough play [on] a hard line drive. It was great for Bubba to make a big contribution to the game.”

The great defense continued on Sunday, when center fielder Will Benson gave up his body for a sliding catch in right-center field to rob Lenyn Sosa.

During Friday's 11-1 win over Chicago, Jake Fraley ended the second inning by making an over-the-shoulder catch on the run to take a hit away from Paul DeJong. Fraley crashed hard into the fence, but he was able to hold on to the ball.

Reds outfielders have stepped up in the absence of center fielder -- and their best defender -- TJ Friedl, who’s been out since Spring Training with a right wrist fracture.

According to Statcast, Reds outfielders have 1 Out Above Average this season. That is well ahead of the pace of last season, when the group finished with -13 OAA. Fairchild and Benson, particularly, have received more playing time since Friedl has been out.

“Certainly, we miss TJ Friedl in every way," Bell said. "I’d say it speaks to the work our guys have done, individually and collectively, to improve defensively. We’re committed to being as good of a defensive team as possible in the infield and the outfield.”

The diving catch against Sheets was Fairchild's second great play in less than a week. During the April 8 win over the Brewers at Great American Ball Park, he made a leaping catch at the right-field fence to take a potential home run from Willy Adames.

“I feel like it’s always been something I’ve known I’ve been able to do, and have done, throughout my career," Fairchild said. "To do it in the big leagues at the highest level, those are special moments. It’s been great to be able to show what I can do defensively because I’ve always known I can do it.”