Now you see him … safe! Inside Báez’s magic slide at home

DETROIT -- Javier Báez has a well-earned reputation as a magician when applying tags. For his latest trick, however, he eluded a tag, sliding around and over Salvador Perez’s glove at home plate to open the scoring for the Tigers on Wednesday night as they beat the Royals, 2-1.

The contortion denied Royals right fielder Jac Caglianone a second assist in as many plays. He threw out Zach McKinstry at the plate on Báez’s third-inning double, with help from an on-target relay throw by Royals second baseman Michael Massey. Home-plate umpire Jansen Visconti initially called McKinstry safe, but the replay challenge from Kansas City showed Perez had applied the tag before McKinstry touched the plate.

Báez advanced to third on the throw, putting him in position to tag up when Jake Rogers hit a fly ball to Caglianone in right. Caglianone’s throw reached Perez on the fly, but Perez had to catch it on the first-base side of home plate and then lunge across. He got the initial out call from Visconti, but the Tigers’ challenge showed that Báez lifted his hand up and over the tag before tapping the plate.