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 in Wednesday’s 2-1 win over the Royals at Comerica Park.
“I don’t know, man. Just reaction,” Báez shrugged.
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.
“I thought I had it, for sure,” Báez said. “[Caglianone] was honestly pretty deep. He made a great throw, pretty strong throw. I went off Salvy's eyes and reactions. The ball beat me by two steps. Obviously, their reaction is going right to the plate. Knowing that the ball beat me, I just tried to skip the tag, I guess.”
Perez got the initial out call from Visconti, but Báez immediately signaled to the dugout to challenge. The replay showed that Báez lifted his hand up and over the tag before tapping the plate.
“[Visconti] was saying [Perez] tagged me,” Báez said, “but I was pretty sure I hit the ground first. I guess he didn't really have a good view, with Salvy's body moving into the plate.”
Even Tigers manager A.J. Hinch was amazed at Báez’s play.
“I don’t want to say he makes it up as he goes,” Hinch said, “but he’s adaptable in so many different ways, whether it’s his tags at second, the acrobatic slides.
“He immediately got up and wanted to challenge, so we even challenged that before we got notification [from the video crew]. It was hard to tell; I didn’t want to hear [the call] stands. I didn’t want to see it go down with that type of acrobatic slide. The kid in right’s got a really good arm, obviously, and Javy made up for it with an athletic play.”