Bautista nabs his second Royal at first base
Blue Jays right fielder makes heads-up plays in back-to-back games
TORONTO -- For the second consecutive night, Jose Bautista threw out a runner at first base on a ball hit to right field in the Blue Jays' 6-1 loss to the Royals on Friday.
In the top of the seventh and Kansas City holding a 4-1 lead, Omar Infante sent a flare toward shallow right. Thinking the ball was going foul, Infante turned his back on the play, but quickly realized it landed fair. He was late getting out of the box and down the line, buying Bautista -- who trapped the ball after attempting a sliding catch -- enough time to make the play.
"I don't know if you'll see a better play in baseball today than that," said Royals manager Ned Yost. "Omar lost the ball, he thought it was foul. And for Bautista to come and smother the ball and still see that he had a play at first base, I don't think I've ever seen a play like that."
Bautista also accounted for Toronto's run -- belting his 14th home run in the fifth inning off of Royals starter Jason Vargas.
On Thursday, Bautista threw out Billy Butler in the ninth inning of the Blue Jays' eventual 8-6 loss in 10 innings. Butler had hit a sharp grounder into right field and straight into a charging Bautista, who fired a strike to first baseman Edwin Encarnacion to beat Butler by at least a foot.