Josh Donaldson flies into the stands to make exceptional catch
Toronto Blue Jays third baseman Josh Donaldson is ridiculous. In his first season with the club, Donaldson is putting up MVP numbers at the plate, and gold glove metrics in the field.
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The latter was on display Wednesday against the Tampa Bay Rays. With pitcher Marco Estrada working on a perfect game, Donaldson proved to be the ultimate teammate, sacrificing his body by going into the stands to make a fantastic catch.
We’re not even halfway through the season yet, but that could be the defensive play of the year. The fact that Estrada’s perfect game was still on the line only makes us appreciate the catch more. There was a lot riding on Donaldson here, and he came through in a big way.
Estrada would lose the perfect game and the no-hitter during the next at-bat, but it wasn’t Donaldson’s fault. Again, Donaldson made a fantastic play in the field, he just didn’t have enough time to retire Logan Forsythe on the throw.
The ball took a couple big bounces on the infield grass, so Donaldson had no choice but to attempt the barehanded play. He pulled it off, but Forsythe proved to be too fast.
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Though the result of the second play wasn’t ideal, it still shows Donaldson’s commitment to the club. He did everything in his power to ensure his pitcher’s excellent game continued. He even risked injury by diving into the stands.
In the process, he might have made the defensive play of the year.
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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
