In the top of the 8th inning of the Tigers-Royals game on Tuesday night, Billy Butler “lined out to right field,” according to the box score. Sounds simple enough, but it wasn’t your ordinary line out.
Tigers’ right fielder Brennan Boesch, who has made catching routine fly balls quite an adventure this season*, lost the ball in the lights, I assume, and turned his back on it at the very last second. As he turned his back, Boesch kept his right arm extended with his glove open and somehow the ball found the mitt.
MLB.com has EMBEDDABLE video of the play! Have a look at Boesch making a catch without looking:
If you’re interested in re-living the play over and over and over again on loop, here’s a magnificant GIF via Walkoff Woodward:
*I’m sure the lights were playing mind games Tuesday night, but there’s a reason why Boesch holds a team-worst -5.5 UZR.
