KANSAS CITY -- One of baseball¡¯s best defensive outfielders and maybe the game¡¯s fastest player went head to head on a very entertaining play in the Twins¡¯ 4-0 win against the Royals on Wednesday night at Kauffman Stadium.
With Royals superstar Bobby Witt Jr. on second base with one out in the fourth inning, catcher Salvador Perez hit a line drive to center field. Harrison Bader, filling in for Byron Buxton, ranged to his right, corralled the ball and came up throwing.
He made a remarkably quick transfer and release, and delivered an 86.4 mph throw to second base. The throw barely beat Witt to end the inning, but that wasn¡¯t the whole story.
Why? Because Witt had been stealing on the play. He wasn¡¯t caught napping, quite the contrary. Witt took off with the pitch, made it all the way to third, slid in headfirst, then got up and hustled back to second. And even with Bader¡¯s quick and strong throw, Witt very nearly got back safe.
¡°You just know who¡¯s on the bases, and you know you have to get rid of it quickly,¡± Bader said. ¡°He¡¯s obviously a superstar, so I just tried to get rid of it quickly and get an out for my team.¡±
Most other outfielders, Witt probably would have been safe. Nearly any other baserunner, it wouldn¡¯t have been a close play. With Bader and Witt, it was a show.
"Big play by him," Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said of Bader. ¡°Not surprised to see him make it, but he executed it.¡±