CLEVELAND -- It’s not every day that you see a player get a base hit while his back is turned toward the infield.

Indians outfielder Eddie Rosario couldn’t help but partially swing at a 91.5 mph heater from Orioles starter Keegan Akin. The pitch busted him so far up and in that Rosario’s swing ended up becoming a defense reflex to protect himself from getting plunked. And somehow, he wound up on first base in the Indians' 8-7 win on Wednesday at Progressive Field.

With a hit so soft that an exit velocity couldn’t be registered, Rosario had no idea the ball he barely made contact with somehow stayed within the third-base line. As he turned away from the pitch to protect himself, his back turned toward the infield, causing him to miss the fact that the ball was in play. As he stumbled away from the left-handed batter’s box, he looked over his shoulder to notice Akin and catcher Pedro Severino scrambling to field the ball.

Rosario broke for first base well outside the usual path down the base line. He beat out the throw from Akin and pointed up to the sky as he couldn’t help but crack a big grin on his face.

“I was scared when I saw the ball going to my face," Rosario said. "But when I felt the contact, when I saw it in play, I said, ‘Oh, out?’ So, I was running and running and running and they said, ‘Safe,’ and I felt happy. That happens sometimes in baseball. That’s baseball.”