Pablo Sandoval makes tremendous diving catch on a bunt attempt
Boston Red Sox third baseman Pablo Sandoval gets a lot of grief about his body size. Those concerns were even evident this offseason after an unflattering picture of Sandoval emerged during camp.
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Though his weight has been a constant source of ridicule, Sandoval has always performed on the field. He hasn’t just been successful at the plate, either. Sandoval is considered one of the better defenders at third base.
He showed why that’s the case during Monday’s game against the Toronto Blue Jays. In the top of the fourth inning, with two men on base, Jays infielder Dalton Pompey attempted to bunt both runners over.
Sandoval read the play, and charged in to make a tremendous diving catch. The catch not only robbed Pompey of a hit, but kept both runners from advancing. The Red Sox would get out of the inning without giving up any additional runs.
Sandoval’s strong play carried over to the plate. In the bottom half of the inning, he crushed a solo home run to right field.
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That was the last at-bat he would receive during the contest. Sandoval was pulled in the sixth inning due to a neck injury. The injury likely happened during his diving catch.
The injury isn’t considered serious, and Sandoval could return to the lineup Tuesday.
Though he left early, Sandoval still turned in one heck of a game. He finished 2 for 2, with one run scored and three RBI. On top of that, he made a tremendous defensive play.
Sandoval may have proved that the phrase “the bigger they are, the harder they fall” is accurate, but he also proved that he can still move over at third base.
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Chris Cwik is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Chris_Cwik
