Jackie Bradley Jr. robbed Adam Jones of a hit with a tumbling catch and Jones had to tip his cap afterward
What happens when a skilled defender retires another skilled defender with a tumbling, low-percentage catch?
This scenario played out in the Red Sox' 10-3 win over the Orioles on Saturday at Fenway Park featuring two of the most gifted outfielders in the game -- Baltimore's
In the sixth inning, Jones cracked a line drive toward the gap in right-center. He probably figured it would at least fall in for a single, but then Bradley came crashing in with a slick grab:
His reality having shifted abruptly from maybe being on first or second base to being retired for the first out of the inning, all Jones could do was show some respect to JBJ for the effort:
Because playful competition is always fun, of course Bradley lined out to Jones in center leading off the bottom of the seventh inning -- prompting Jones to shout toward Bradley, as if to say, "Hey, that counts just the same!"
"I didn't see his reaction, but I did see him mimic me after he made a play on me the very next inning," Bradley told MLB.com's Brian MacPherson after the game.
Bradley, who was playing in right field for the first time since 2015, did point out one aspect of his game that might have made a difference with Saturday's catch: "A lot of corner outfielders have to deal with the lights. I had my shades on, so that kind of helped."
Good stuff, gentlemen.
