We are up to thirteen teams officially eliminated from postseason play. Though some have already begun their role as spoilers, just as many have begun to look ahead. On the other side of the standings, the AL West race continues to seesaw while the AL East looks to have finally stopped doing just as much. In the NL, all three top teams from the NL Central have better records than the Mets and Dodgers, two teams finding new ways to salt away their respective divisions over the season’s final weeks. Amidst all this, some top notch plays were on display across the country. Without further ado, here are the five plays that defined the week that was in baseball.
5. Carlos Correa Goes Out And Reaches Back
These past few weeks for the Astros have been tough. The upstart ‘Stros were caught and eventually passed in the AL West standings by the Rangers thanks to a four game sweep. They now have a new bullseye on them for the second Wild Card spot as the Angels and Twins take aim at bringing an unfitting end to a baseball renaissance at Minute Maid Park. Through all the trials of a playoff chase, Carlos Correa has still stayed hot and focused not only on bringing home postseason baseball, but individual silverware as well. The now 21 year old (Happy Belated Birthday Carlos!) shortstop is one home run away from 20 for the year all the while showing incredible skill in the field. Correa furthered his case for the AL Gold Glove, as well as Rookie of the Year on Saturday against the A’s. In the top of the fourth inning, Jake Smolinski stepped up to the plate to face Scott Kazmir. Smolinski took a hack at a 1-0 offering and lobbed it precariously towards the left field grass. Preston Tucker was playing way too deep to get to the ball, but Carlos Correa had more than enough speed to track the ball down. He almost had TOO much speed. Correa got to the ball, but slightly overran the fly ball, forcing him to leap and reach back to make the catch. Add that to a 2-for-4 day (and more importantly a W) and you have yourself a nice little bullet point on your award resume.
4. Giants Go Around The Horn
Like the Astros in the American League, the Giants are chasing the division crown out west in the National League. They haven’t been able to make up ground on the Dodgers with both teams either winning or losing on the same night over the past two weeks eight times. If time is to run out on the defending World Series Champions, at least they can take a modicum of solace from the fact that their infield depth is just getting deeper for the future. In Friday night’s game against the Diamondbacks, that depth was on full display. With ace Madison Bumgarner on the bump, San Fran had a man on first and none out in the top of the fourth. Wellington Castillo hit a broken bat chopper to Matt Duffy on the third base line. He fielded it cleanly yet made a poor throw towards second base. Kelby Tomlinson, filling in seamlessly for the injured Joe Panik, scooped the ball off the ground to retire the barreling Paul Goldschmidt. As the announcers make reference to, Goldschmidt has a reputation for hard slides into second base. Tomlinson hung in though and completed the double play with a strong throw to Brandon Belt. The play makes the Top of the Heap this week, but I’m sure the Giants would have traded it for a win.
3. Mikie Likes It
The Rays are doomed to spend October at home for a second consecutive season after four straight 90-win campaigns. They’ve had their share of injuries this year as well as a slew of under-performing regulars. That isn’t to say that the Rays haven’t had a couple of bright spots in this otherwise lost season. Two of those have come as Erasmo Ramirez, not to be confused with this Erasmo Ramirez, has taken two no-hitters deep into games. The latest came last Monday against the Wild Card leading Yankees. Ramirez took a no-hitter into the eighth inning that was broken up by a Carlos Beltran single. While losing a no-hitter always stings, the plays made behind a pitcher to keep a no-no intact can be some of the best. An inning before the bid was thwarted, Brett Gardner was on second after a walk and a ground out. Brian McCann stepped up and immediately took Ramirez deep to right. Rookie Mikie Mahtook tracked the drive down and crashed into the wall to record the out. At the same time, Gardner strayed a bit too far from second as he surely believed McCann’s drive would find the wall or the seats. Mahtook gunned out the fleet of foot All-Star to keep the no-hitter intact, equally important in a 0-0 game. Alas, this story, like most surrounding the 2015 Rays, did not have a happy ending. Mahtook scored the go-ahead run in the bottom of the eighth, but Brad Boxberger imploded in his save attempt as the Yanks rallied to victory.
2. Brian Dozier Is Down With The Slickness
The Twins are hanging on to the slight glimmer of hope that is the second Wild Card spot in the American League. While their pitching has began to sputter, All-Star second baseman Brian Dozier has tried to pick them up with both his bat and his glove. His 27 home runs and 70 RBI have only done so much. It is plays like the one he made last Wednesday against the Tigers that need to be capitalized on more. Down 2-1 in the top of the fourth, Ervin Santana had a man on first and one out. James McCann hit a comebacker to Santana which should have started a routine 1-4-3 double play. It turned out to be anything but routine. Santana’s throw was, in the words of the immortal Bob Uecker, juuuuuust a bit outside. However, Dozier was not only able to corral the errant toss, but he tapped second, avoided the runner and threw out McCann at first. What could have been a big error leading to a big inning became the end of the frame. Unluckily for Dozier and company, their bullpen would melt down in the 12th and their glimmer of hope dimmed just that much more.
1. Fuld Extension Redux
Sam Fuld is no stranger to Top of the Heap. Towards the end of July, he made the countdown with a great diving catch in left field to rob the Dodgers’ Scott Van Slyke. He may have outdid himself with the diving effort he made against the Astros on Friday night. In the bottom of the third, Carlos Correa, the man at number five on our list, hit a tailing liner towards the right-center field gap off of Felix Doubront. Sam Fuld had to travel a long ways just to have a chance of keeping the smash to a double with the speedy Correa. Instead of playing it safe, Fuld threw himself into the air like a dog jumping off a dock after a frisbee. He made the catch at full extension and left Correa dumbfounded looking to see the replay on the big board. The A’s would come back and win, damaging Houston’s division chances. Fuld may have been a bridesmaid his last time here on Top of the Heap, but that super catch made him the bride this week.
