Bellinger’s shoestring catch starts double play, helps Yankees end 6-game losing streak
NEW YORK AP Cody Bellinger watched Juan Soto hit a sinking line drive charged in a limited strategies from left field and stuck out his arm as the ball dropped into the webbing of his glove Then in one motion Bellinger made a mph throw on the fly throw to first baseman Paul Goldschmidt that doubled up Francisco Lindor who didn t slide That was incredible Aaron Judge noted Sunday after the Yankees stopped a six-game losing streak with a - win over the Mets I ve never seen something like that on the field To come in especially a guy like Soto I ve seen him hit so a large number of line drives over outfielders heads when they come in too hard Soto s mph liner against Mark Leiter Jr had an expected batting average of Bellinger was making his st start this season in left field and th career start there after playing first base for the first time this season on Saturday It was a hard-hit ball Bellinger disclosed It s just trying to get the best read viable and I saw it in the air and had a really good bead on it So I was just glad I was able to make the play So when I looked up I saw Goldie with his glove high so I tried to make a good throw Bellinger won a Gold Glove in as a right fielder with the Los Angeles Dodgers To make that play was a contest changing play potentially a game-winning play for us Goldschmidt declared The Mets challenged the catch hoping the ball was trapped I felt I caught it Bellinger revealed I feel like you can tell if it hits the ground first I feel like I caught it from the jump Mets manager Carlos Mendoza explained he was willing to challenge because he knew he would get another review in the final two innings Pretty incredible play there Mendoza commented Presumably the play of the event Bellinger s pivotal catch was the second of three double plays in consecutive innings by a Yankees defense that had been shaky of late Just what a play manager Aaron Boone noted Considering the context of this week and everything that s perhaps the play of the year so far and to have the wherewithal and the quality of the throw to double them off just a great play Hayden Senger grounded into a double play with the bases loaded in the sixth and Judge followed with his catch Goldschmidt turned an unassisted double play in the eighth gloving Brett Baty s hard grounder tagging Ronny Mauricio and stepping on first base Judge hit his rd homer in the fifth and had a tumbling catch on Starling Marte flare to right that to end the sixth Bellinger started in left field after rookie Jasson Dom nguez experienced various shaky moments in the first two games On Friday Dom nguez initially broke in on Brandon Nimmo s liner and the ball went over him for a leadoff double before Soto hit a two-run homer On Saturday Marte hit an RBI single that went over Dom nguez Dom nguez has made starts in first full season in left field after playing games in left during the final month of last season Top prospect Spencer Jones the Yankees top pick in the amateur draft made six starts in left field with Double-A Somerset and has made another start since his promotion to Triple-A Scranton Wilkes Barre Jones hit a go-ahead -foot three-run homer in Sunday s - win over Lehigh Valley and is hitting with four homers and eight RBIs in eight games with the RailRiders AP MLB https apnews com hub mlb Source
