KANSAS CITY -- It was either one of the better catches you'll see in a while, or it was an awkward approach to a deep fly ball rescued by a last-second stab in midair. Either way, credit Royals outfielder Paulo Orlando with a highlight grab.
In the fifth inning of the Royals' 8-3 win over the White Sox on Monday at Kauffman Stadium, White Sox catcher Omar Narváez sent a deep drive toward the warning track in right field.
Orlando began to track it, wary of the wall as he glided back. Orlando then seemed to jump too soon as he may have lost sight of the ball. At the last moment, while in midair, Orlando swung his glove upward and snagged the ball as his feet hit the bottom of the wall.
Orlando seemed a little unsure as he began pursuing the ball, and reached a top speed of just 15.8 mph, according to Statcast™. However, his route efficiency (96.5) and instincts were enough to make up for it as he traveled more than 80 feet to make the catch.
"At first, I thought it was off the wall," Orlando said. "Then I thought I had it, but the wind got it and made it go kind of sideways. Then I just kind of reached back and got it. It was kind of unbelievable."
The catch came in handy: It was the first out, and one batter later, Adam Eaton ripped a two-out double. The White Sox wound up not scoring.