SEATTLE -- It screamed to center field like a 107.5 mph knuckleball.
And as such, Julio Rodríguez had to dance back into position to make the play.
Monday night’s catch for the very first putout between the Mariners and Athletics was no ordinary snag, which is why Seattle’s star center fielder was left with a wide smile after gathering himself and throwing the ball in.
The scorcher off Nick Kurtz’s bat had such incredible backspin that it shifted from sailing to straightaway center and directly at Rodríguez, to instead slicing over his right side. That forced him to rapidly plant his cleats, lean back, leap against his weight and shove his glove in the opposite direction for any conceivable chance.
He timed it up perfectly, as he was completely midair when snagging the ball before tumbling back to the playing surface.
Then he sat on the field, legs sprawled, in almost his exact spot he started -- bringing the whole thing full-circle.
Beyond the acrobatics, the stakes of the play loomed large. Had the ball gotten by him -- even with his elite speed to track it down -- it was destined for the wall and at least a double if not a triple. But Emerson Hancock then retired each of the A’s next two batters to clear the inning unscathed.
Rodríguez kept the momentum rolling in the next half-inning, when ripping a 99.3 mph single, stealing second base and scoring on a down-the-line double from Josh Naylor. That followed an opposite-field homer from Cal Raleigh that put the Mariners on the board.
Rodríguez loves making the glovely plays, which is why he allowed himself to relish this one. Making the moment sweeter was that it was against Kurtz, a fellow American League Rookie of the Year Award winner who’s blossomed into one of the sport’s elite power hitters.