New miracle by A’s center fielder Laureano — steals Blue Jays homer
Center fielder Ramon Laureano has been making great throws all season. Against Toronto in the second inning Sunday, he made an impossible catch.
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OAKLAND — A’s center fielder Ramon Laureano has built quite the reputation for a powerful and accurate throwing arm.
In the second inning Sunday against the Toronto Blue Jays, Laureano showed he can also perform miracles with his glove.
With Justin Smoak on first base and no one out in the second, Teoscar Hernandez launched a ball to center field against starter Brett Anderson that looked like a sure two-run home run. Laureano broke on the ball, timed his leap perfectly near the 388 sign at the Coliseum and caught the ball at the top of his jump, bringing it back for an out.
The play wasn’t over, Laureno, attempted to double off Smoak at first, to a little too much on the throw, which sailed over the head of first baseman Kendrys Morales. Catcher Nick Hundley, backing up the play, then threw a strike to Jurickson Profar at second base to get Smoak attempting to advance.
Just your garden variety 8-2-4 double play (although it’s not officially scored that way because of the overthrow).
Here it is:
OMG THE GREATEST DOUBLE PLAY EVER pic.twitter.com/XZTtqL2kYN
— A's on NBCS (@NBCSAthletics) April 21, 2019
Laureano entered the game with five out-field assists cutting down runners on the bases. In a 10-1 loss to Toronto on Saturday, the Blue Jays’ Brandon Drury poked a ball to right center and considered taking second. Either realizing who was in center or getting an earful from his first base coach, Drury slammed on the brakes.
“You know when teams are going over their scouting reports, they’re talking to team the first day of the series and (Laureano’s) name definitely comes up,” A’s manager Bob Melvin said.
Anderson, the beneficiary of Laureano’s play, ran out of luck in the third. Anderson appeared to turn his left ankle making a fielding play and departed in favor of Yusmiero Petit with two outs while trailing 2-0. The club announced that Anderson had left with a left ankle sprain.