Kiermaier catches Arozarena 'off-guard' in LF

One way or another, the high fly ball Mitch Moreland hit to left field in the sixth inning of the Rays’ 4-3 win over the A’s on Tuesday night at Tropicana Field was going to be caught. And with Matt Olson set to take off from third base to score the potential go-ahead run, it was going to be an interesting play.

It turned out to be an even more fascinating play than one might have expected. As Rays left fielder Randy Arozarena settled underneath the ball, preparing to make the catch and throw to home, Kevin Kiermaier came running onto the scene from center field, jumped in front of Arozarena to make the catch then fired a strong throw to catcher Francisco Mejía that didn’t get there in time to keep Olson from scoring on the sacrifice fly.

According to Statcast, Kiermaier had to cover 109 feet to make the catch. Arozarena, meanwhile, needed to move only 21 feet to get to the ball. So, why did Kiermaier play it the way he did?

First and foremost, he said, because it’s a play he believed he could make.

“I'm in a unique position with what my defensive skill set is, and I'll never shy away from that. I believe I'm the best defensive outfielder in the game,” Kiermaier said. “I'd put my talents up with anyone, and I'm very confident in saying that.

“On the play, I always tell my outfielders -- especially when there's a sac fly situation -- I tell them, 'Hey, if I can get to this area, I'm throwing.' … And that play right there, Mitch Moreland had enough height on it where I knew right away, I could get behind it and work my momentum back towards the plate.”

Kiermaier, a three-time Gold Glove Award winner, said he’s made similar plays before. During a lengthy explanation, Kiermaier said he had full trust in Arozarena’s ability in that spot, and he was upset with himself for not getting the out at the plate. Manager Kevin Cash said he would review the play but noted, “I’m not going to second-guess anything KK does out there. We know how special he is covering ground and the type of arm strength he has.”

Kiermaier added that he was further motivated by how significant the moment felt -- the game was tied, and before Brett Phillips’ go-ahead homer, the Rays were mired in a team-wide slump. So Kiermaier said he wanted to do everything in his power to keep the game tied.

“In that moment right there, pre-pitch, I'm saying if I can get to any ball, I'm going, and I'm going to try to make the play,” he said. “I think I caught Randy off-guard. He kind of stood his ground, and that hindered my ability to get behind the ball a little bit more than what I wanted -- rightfully so by Randy -- he did nothing wrong in that play whatsoever.”

There’s no denying the strength of Kiermaier’s arm. The throw he unleashed clocked in at 94.8 mph, according to Statcast, while Arozarena hasn’t had a throw tracked by Statcast above 90 mph. But Kiermaier said he understood that not everyone, perhaps including Arozarena, would see the situation the way he did, and he planned to talk to Arozarena about it at some point.

“I can't sit here and assume, because I haven't talked to him, but it's gonna be a tough convo because he might not see eye-to-eye about it forever,” Kiermaier said. “And I can plead my case. He can plead his. My arm feels really good, feels really powerful. And once again, if a ball's hit in the air and I can get to it, I want to throw. And I think that gives our team the best chance of winning, and I'll stand behind that any day of the week.”