Anthony Rizzo and David Ross combined for a juggling, rail-flipping, jaw-dropping grab
Major League players are really, really good at catching baseballs. Sure, it's part of the job description, but still -- they make corralling a tiny white sphere moving all over the place at high speeds seem routine.
But even the pros need help some times. Take David Ross during World Series Game 5 on Sunday night: Carlos Santana popped a ball foul behind the plate, and Ross drifted over toward the Indians dugout to make the play. Except, well, it gets awfully windy at Wrigley Field in late October, and the Cubs catcher found himself out of position to make the play. Disaster seemed imminent:
Enter Anthony Rizzo:
Joe Maddon knew that this was just as they had drawn it up:
He was probably calm because he remembered this similar moment from the ninth inning of Game 6 of the 1980 World Series between the Phillies and the Royals, when Pete Rose lent a helping hand to Bob Boone in foul territory:
Philly went on to win that series, so clearly this was an auspicious sign for the Cubs.
But things were not always so sunny for the defensive superteam of Rizzo and Ross (Rozzo? Rizz Ross?). In the top of the fourth, Mike Napoli lifted a popup into foul territory down the first-base line. Ross was determined to prove that he could fly as a solo act -- whether Rizzo was standing in his way or not:
That defensive wizardry is just part of the reason the Cubs took Game 5, 3-2, and avoided elimination. They'll try to keep the run going in Game 6 in Cleveland on Tuesday night, air time at 7:30 p.m. ET l 8 p.m. game time.