Red Sox outfielders Ceddanne Rafaela and Wilyer Abreu combined for a remarkable defensive play to rob the Tigers of a home run in the seventh inning of Boston’s 6-5 loss to Detroit on Wednesday at Comerica Park.
With the game tied 5-5 in the bottom of the inning, Tigers designated hitter Kerry Carpenter launched a 95 MPH four-seam fastball from Liam Hendriks deep to right field. Abreu tracked the ball to the warning track and leapt to make the catch, but it deflected off the heel of his glove. In a stunning twist, the ball ricocheted directly into Rafaela’s bare hand, completing an improbable catch and denying the Tigers a go-ahead homer.
Hendriks couldn’t contain his excitement on the mound as he witnessed the jaw-dropping play come together.
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything like that,” Hendriks said to reporters in Detroit. “I’ve been part of a few wild plays here before, but that one stood out—it was something else.
“When the ball came off the bat, I thought, ‘Oh no.’ Then I saw Wilyer tracking it, and I started to think, ‘Maybe there’s a shot.’ But I definitely didn’t expect that kind of play.”
The play underwent review, but the ruling on the field was upheld. Before resuming the inning, Hendriks received a bit of light-hearted advice from the umpire.
“The ump told me, ‘You might want to hang on to that ball—got a bit lucky there,’” Hendriks recalled. “So I did, and the very next pitch was hit right to Trevor Story. I figured the ball had some good juju going.”
Hendriks went on to retire the side in order in the seventh, preserving the 5-5 tie. Through nine appearances this season, the 36-year-old right-hander owns a 1.80 ERA, allowing just two earned runs with four walks and eight strikeouts over 10 innings of work.
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