Luis Arráez couldn't help but smile after Max Fried completely embarrassed him with an ankle-buckling 92 mph sinker
Marlins infielder Luis Arráez is a two-time batting champion and one of the most difficult players in the game to strike out. It takes something awfully special to make Arráez look silly at the plate.
And on Tuesday night, Braves ace Max Fried gave Arráez exactly that.
During the fourth inning of Atlanta’s eventual 5-0 win, Arráez was caught completely off guard by a 2-1 sinker from Fried that had some late movement inside. Arráez tried to hold off from swinging, but in doing so, he totally lost his footing.
The Marlins star knew right away that Fried had him with that pitch.
That smile said it all, really. What a pitch. And yes, the third base umpire ruled that Arráez swung at the pitch. He’d eventually strike out two pitches later.
Of course, MLB fans also had jokes for the moment. Even the best contact hitters in baseball aren’t safe from an embarrassing moment at the plate.