We’ve turned the page on both the calendar and another week of spectacular baseball plays. Let’s hope May brings as much shine to the diamond as April did! Let’s look at the best five plays the past week had to offer.
5. A-Rod Ties Mays
It may be a $6 million point of contention in the Bronx as to whether or not Alex Rodriguez reached a “milestone” on Friday night against the rival Red Sox. For the rest of us, the much maligned A-Rod tied the great Willie Mays with his 660th home run in the top of the eighth off reliever Junichi Tazawa. Not only was the home run over Boston’s Green Monster historic, it gave the Yankees the lead 3-2. The first place Bronx Bombers would go on to win the game by that margin when former Red Sox pitcher Andrew Miller shut the door in the ninth.
4. Kevin Pillar Eats Wall For Dinner
Jays outfielder Kevin Pillar has been on the Top of the Heap radar all three weeks thus far. He was the king of the mountain for his Spiderman-esque catch against Atlanta two weeks ago. He just missed the cut with his full extension diving catch and double play versus the Orioles. Pillar was not to be denied for this edition. The Web Gem Waiting To Happen ate the outfield wall not once, but twice this past week against the Indians. He robbed Brandon Moss on Thursday night and provided an encore performance against Jason Kipnis on Friday evening. The Kipnis theft was chosen because it helped preserve a tie game but make no mistake, the Moss catch was just as good. Check that one out here.
3. Ben Revere Plays Leap Frog
Philadelphia’s Freddy Galvis made the list last week with some flair in the infield. Ben Revere represents the Phillies’ outfield on this week’s list. In the bottom of the seventh inning Tuesday night, Jon Jay hit a tailing fly ball towards the left field line. Ben Revere made a fairly innocuous catch in stride as he headed towards the wall. There was just one problem though: the foul ball attendant (he was much too old to be a “ball boy”) was in the way. It wasn’t that big of an issue for Revere as he just leaped over the man and jogged to the dugout as if nothing happened. It was the bright spot in yet another Phillies defeat.
2. J.P. Howell and The Show Time Dodgers
The Los Angeles Lakers of the 80’s were known as the Show Time Lakers. The figure head of that team, Magic Johnson, is as you probably know by now a part owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers. It seems some of these Dodgers have been watching some old NBA highlight reels before they go out on the field. The Battle of the Andersons (Brett vs. Chase, no relation) on Sunday afternoon could not be contained by just nine innings. The D’Backs and Dodgers went to extra innings with the game still scoreless. Arizona looked poised to score first when with runners on first and third, Dodgers pitcher J.P. Howell uncorked a breaking ball in the dirt that squirted away from catcher A.J. Ellis. Howell atoned though with a clever behind the back tag to nail Jordan Pacheco at home. The Dodgers would win on a Yasmani Grandal walk-off home run in the bottom of the inning.
1. Jake Marisnick Tames Tal’s Hill
Normally, a play like Howell’s would at least take top billing for the day, and possibly week. Houston’s Jake Marisnick felt differently. The best team in the American League (YES YOU READ THAT CORRECTLY) took on the Seattle Mariners on Sunday. In the top of the sixth inning, Logan Morrison hit a ball to center field that would make it to the stands in pretty much every part of every other ballpark in the Majors. Houston’s Tal’s Hill though is unlike any other park fixture. It has created many the blooper for even the most competent of center fielders over the years. What Marisnick did was just the opposite. He ran down the nearly 430 foot drive and made a diving over the shoulder catch up the hill to end the inning and stupefied starter Collin McHugh in the process.