TAMPA -- On Friday night, José Caballero leaped in front of the right-field wall at George M. Steinbrenner Field to rob the Yankees¡¯ Ben Rice of a two-run homer.
Somehow, it might not be remembered as his most incredible play of the series.
Starting at shortstop on Saturday afternoon, Caballero corralled a 104.9 mph grounder off the bat of Paul Goldschmidt in the first inning and flipped it between his legs to second baseman Brandon Lowe -- like a center snapping the ball to a quarterback -- for the first out of the inning.
¡°I just tried to get the out. That's all I can say,¡± Caballero said, smiling. ¡°I don't know what I pulled that one from, but just trying to help the team, trying to get outs. That's all.¡±
Lowe then turned and fired the ball to first baseman Jonathan Aranda, completing what was ultimately ruled to be a double play after a replay review.
¡°I watched it kind of all happen in slow motion,¡± Lowe said.
¡°As it was developing, I saw him lay out, make the play, and all of a sudden, he's rolling over. And I'm just like, 'Something's going to happen here. I've got to be ready for it.¡¯ And somehow, some way, he made a perfect toss to me between his legs, not looking, and we were able to turn a nice double play.¡±
A run scored on the play, and another scored when Jazz Chisholm Jr. slapped a single after that, but Caballero¡¯s wild maneuver helped limit the damage after the Yankees loaded the bases with no outs in a game the Rays went on to win, 10-8, in 10 innings.
Caballero said he didn¡¯t actually look to see where Lowe was before flipping the ball. He just wanted to push the ball in the general direction of second base, guessing Lowe would be there to make a play. With the ball between his legs, Caballero said, ¡°My only chance was that.¡±
Caballero said he¡¯d never made that play in a game before. He has practiced plenty of trick plays before games, but he couldn¡¯t remember pulling that one off.
¡°We don't really slide or dive for balls in practice,¡± Caballero said. ¡°But we always mess around, and it's good to have that.¡±
Saturday was only Caballero¡¯s fourth start of the season at shortstop, as most of his work has come in right field. But the Rays were looking for a way to boost their slumping lineup against the Yankees, and as he showed in the first inning, he¡¯s a natural on the dirt.
With Caballero having little professional experience in the outfield, it came as no surprise when he said Friday night that he had never robbed a home run. Not many infielders have made a play like the one he made Saturday, either.
¡°Heads-up by Cabby, heads-up by B. Lowe to receive it, and great turn by him,¡± manager Kevin Cash said. ¡°Our middle-infield guys can do some pretty special things ¡ so if we can get the ball on the ground, we feel pretty good about securing it in the middle.¡±