ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (WFLA) – It was a bang, bang play in a one-run game. The Tampa Bay Rays were clinging to a lead against the New York Yankees.
New York catcher Gary Sanchez hit a ground ball to Rays second baseman Daniel Robertson, who flipped the ball to shortstop Willy Adames, who then stepped on 2nd to record the final out of the game.
Only, the runner was safe.
“I looked up and saw Sanchez not even a third of the way down the line and I kind of yelled at Willy, ‘throw it to first,'” Robertson said. “Just a wacky play.”
Adames had time to throw to first base, where the Rays Jake Bauers had just arrived. Sanchez, who did not look like he was running full speed throughout the play, was out.
A win for the Rays.
“I saw him beat the throw and figured the run was going to score obviously,” Bauers said.
“Ball got fired to me. I wasn’t exactly ready for it but caught it. You can see in that video I was kind of shocked. I looked at the umpire like, ‘yeah, I got it.'”
Sanchez was not in the Yankees starting lineup Tuesday night although the club announced it was due to a groin injury. He was placed on the disabled list.
The Rays aftermath had Robertson calling the play a “learning experience,” although Bauers was not at first base at the start of the play because he was playing away, defending a pull down the right field line.
But both players attributed the success of that moment to the Rays attitude in 2018, never giving up on any play. And, for one play, hustle led directly to a win.